Report: US gains access to Turkish bases in fight against ISIS

The Turkish government has reportedly agreed to let the U.S. and its allies use its military bases as part of operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Citing American officials, The Associated Press reported Sunday that U.S. and coalition forces will have access to Turkish bases, including one within 100 miles of the Syria border.

{mosads}The agreement comes, as the U.S. has pushed Turkey to play a more active role in the fight against ISIS, particularly as those forces continue to gain control of areas coming close to the Turkish border.

The deal comes one day after Turkey also agreed to allow the training of up to 4,000 moderate Syrian rebels on its soil.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke with Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz on Sunday to thank him for the agreement. The U.S. is also pushing Turkey for other ways to engage against ISIS.

Earlier Sunday, National Security adviser Susan Rice urged patience regarding the effort against ISIS and downplayed concerns the strategy is ineffective as ISIS gains ground.

She also flatly ruled out the use of U.S. ground troops in combat in the region.

“This is not a campaign that requires or would even benefit from American ground troops in combat again,” she said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”