Yesterday, unnamed administration officials leaked the good news that Turkey would allow us to use their air bases to attack IS forces in Syria and Iraq:

Also Sunday, officials confirmed that Turkey agreed to let U.S. and coalition fighter aircraft launch operations against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria from Turkish bases, including Incirlik Air Base in the south. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who has been traveling in South America, has said the U.S. wanted access to the Turkish bases.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private talks between the Americans and Turks.

Great news! Except...it isn't true.

Washington Post:

Turkey denied Monday that it has reached a new agreement to allow the United States to use the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey in the fight against the Islamic State militant group, contradicting Obama administration officials.

Turkish officials said talks on the subject are continuing, news agencies reported from Ankara, the Turkish capital.

Turkey and the United States have reached an accord on the training of Syrian rebels, Reuters news agency reported, citing officials in the Turkish prime minister’s office, but it was not immediately clear who would train the rebels or where.

Obama administration officials said Sunday that Turkey had agreed to allow a U.S.-led coalition to use Turkish military bases for the fight against the Islamic State, a radical Islamist armed group also known as ISIS or ISIL, and to use Turkish territory as part of a training program for moderate Syrian opposition fighters.

“That’s a new commitment and one that we very much welcome,” Susan E. Rice, President Obama’s national security adviser, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

What an astounding level of incompetence. When the national security advisor goes on TV and claims something that is demonstrably false, is it because she was misinformed? How can you not know the status of such important negotiations?

There's no guarantee these negotiations will pan out. Turkey still wants a no fly zone on the Syrian border while the US says it's impossible. And if we agree to establish a no fly zone in order to get Turkey to allow us to use their bases, it will mean ramping up our involvement in the Syrian civil war. It would take hundreds of US military personnel to establish the no fly zone - all of them targets for both Assad and ISIS.

Yep - we're in the very best of hands...