Turkish police forces briefly close NATO air base

Turkey's counter-terrorism police forces briefly closed the Incirlik Air Base in southeast Turkey on Sunday to prevent a new coup attempt, said the Hurriyet Daily News.

The shutdown operation carried out by the police forces has been completed in two and a half hours. Earlier, it was reported that supporters of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen would make a new coup attempt in this air base, according to Hurriyet.

The Incirlik military base is used by the United States and shelters combat planes of the U.S.-led coalition launching airstrikes in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State group outlawed in many countries.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday that the country's intelligence agency will be under his control and military commanders will report to the defense minister.

Speaking in an interview with ATV and A Haber channels, Erdogan said the moves aim to bring the Turkish military under civilian control after the failed coup attempt last month.

A total of 1,389 pro-coup soldiers including Erdogan's military aide were discharged from the Turkish Armed Forces, the state Official Gazette announced on Sunday.

Altogether, 8,651 soldiers took part in the failed coup attempt of July 15, making up 1.5 percent of the military's total personnel, the General Staff of the Turkish armed forced said. Endi