Turkmenistan won’t allow U.S. military base

The Foreign Ministry disproved media reports that Turkmenistan intends to provide a base to U.S. military forces to conduct operations in neighboring Afghanistan.

German and Russian media have reported in recent days that the Central Asian nation was considering hosting a U.S. military base, following Uzbekistan's recent demand that U.S. troops withdraw from a base on its territory.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: "Such invented information absolutely does not correspond to reality."

Turkmenistan values its official policy of neutrality, the Foreign Ministry said, and it "intends to follow its commitment not to join any military alliances and not to allow foreign troops on its soil."

While Uzbekistan demanded the U.S. withdrawal, Kyrgyzstan has resisted calls for U.S. military quit, the AP reports.