ISTANBUL — (CNN) Ahead of a hastily called NATO meeting, a senior Obama administration official told CNN on Monday there is no agreement with Turkey to establish a no-fly zone in the country.
But, the official said, Turkey has granted the U.S. access to its air bases to push back ISIS militants, so essentially that arrangement creates “nearly the same effect” as a no-fly zone.
Turkey requested the NATO meeting under Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which allows countries to ask for consultations when they believe their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.
The talks will come as Turkey grapples with violence near its southern border with Syria.
A car bomb exploded Sunday in southern Turkey, killing two security officers and wounding four other people, according to officials.
On Thursday, at least five ISIS militants in northern Syria approached the border and fired on a Turkish border unit, killing a soldier and wounding two others, the Turkish military said.
Authorities say ISIS is also to blame for the July 20 suicide blast that killed more than 30 people in Suruc.
The Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, killed two Turkish police officers Wednesday. Turkish leaders believe the PKK, which has been fighting for independence since 1984, is exploiting ISIS’ gains.
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