According to Stars and Stripes and the Associated Press, about 700 military dependents are being asked to leave Incirlik Air Base and and two other installations in southern Turkey due to “deteriorating” security there.

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Families are expected to begin leaving Turkey on Wednesday, stopping first at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, before continuing on to the States or other duty locations, U.S. European Command told Stars and Stripes.

“We understand this is disruptive to our military families, but we must keep them safe and ensure the combat effectiveness of our forces to support our strong ally Turkey in the fight against terrorism,” EUCOM chief Gen. Philip Breedlove said Tuesday in a statement.

The mandatory departure order, announced by the State Department, affects nearly all Defense Department dependents assigned to Incirlik, as well as those at smaller bases in Izmir and Mugla. The families of U.S. diplomats in the same areas also are ordered to depart.

About 670 dependents are expected to be evacuated, along with 287 pets. About 770 dependents, most from Incirlik, are currently in Turkey, EUCOM spokeswoman Julie Weckerlein said. Those allowed to stay are family members with mission-essential jobs.

The fact of the matter is, the base is now on the front lines in the fight against ISIS (the Islamic State, IS, ISIL, Daesh, etc.). Fighters “routinely” take off from the base (which is only about 200 miles from the Syrian border) to strike militant extremist strongholds in both Iraq and Syria.