Turkish sources said the Defense Department has discussed U.S. military access to several bases in Turkey. They said they included air and naval bases that spanned an area from Central Asia to the Mediterranean.

"The request was for temporary access and connected to the crisis with Iran," a Turkish source said.

On April 17, the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet reported that the United States has sought to establish a presence in three naval bases in Turkey. The newspaper said the United States demanded access to bases located along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.