Kyrgyzstan Terminated Military Base Deal with US over Iran’s Concerns: Envoy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Kyrgyzstan’s Ambassador to Tehran said the country terminated a deal with Washington over a US base in Bishkek given the Central Asian country’s cooperation with Iran and Tehran’s concerns over the airbase.
Asanbeyk Osman Aliyev told the Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday that Kyrgyzstan terminated the deal with the Americans, and the US airbase has stopped its operation.
“The American side wanted to continue its activities in Kyrgyzstan but the Kyrgyz administration decided to terminate the contract taking into account its cooperation with the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran’s concerns over the operation of the base in Kyrgyzstan,” he said.
He implicitly confirmed speculations that the closure of the airbase had been urged by both Iran and Russia.
Aliyev, however, rejected the idea that Bishkek made the decision on the order of any country, adding that it was made based on regional expediencies.
The US Manas Air Base, unofficially known as Ganci Air Base, was a US military base at Manas International Airport, near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
It was primarily operated by the US Air Force. The primary unit at the base was the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing.
In June 2014 American troops vacated the base and it was handed over back to Kyrgyzstan’s military.
