Islam Times - US Nuclear Weapons Could Seized by Terrorists in Turkey: Think Tank

Islam Times - A large number of American nuclear weapons stored at Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base are at risk of being seized by "terrorists or other hostile forces," a US-based Stimson Center think tank warns.

According to the Washington think tank about 50 atomic bombs of US which have been stored at Incirlik in southern Turkey are at risk of being seized by "terrorists.”

Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base is located about 110 kilometers from the border with Syria, where Washington and Ankara are engaged in a proxy war against the country, providing support to terrorist groups fighting against the Syrian people and government.

"Whether the US could have maintained control of the weapons in the event of a protracted civil conflict in Turkey is an unanswerable question," the Stimson Center, nonpartisan institution devoted to promote international peace, said in a report issued on Monday.

Following an abortive coup in Turkey, Ankara has reportedly cut off electricity to the air base. Ankara blames Washington for playing a role in the failed attempt.

Even before this incident, the Pentagon ordered families of US troops and civilian personnel deployed in southern Turkey to leave the region citing security concerns.

"From a security point of view, it's a roll of the dice to continue to have approximately 50 of America's nuclear weapons stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey," report co-author Laicie Heeley said.

"There are significant safeguards in place. ... But safeguards are just that, they don't eliminate risk. In the event of a coup, we can't say for certain that we would have been able to maintain control," she said.