Authorities in Ankara have stressed in recent hours that Incirlik is a Turkish and not a US air base, amid rising tensions in the Middle East and after two Iranian-launched ballistic missiles allegedly aimed at the military facility were intercepted in recent days.
During the weekly press briefing held at the Turkish Defence Ministry headquarters, the ministry’s press and public relations adviser and spokesman, Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, wanted to make it clear that İncirlik is a military base belonging to Ankara, and that the mere presence of US soldiers does not make the facility a US base.
“Incirlik is a Turkish base. It is the 10th Main Combat Fighter Jet Base Command based in Adana, operating under the Eskişehir Combat Air Force Command. Our fleet includes F-16s, tankers and UAVs (drones). The property, including all its facilities, belongs to the Republic of Türkiye. The base commander is a Turkish brigadier general. The presence of US soldiers does not make it a US base. There are also military personnel from Spain, Poland and Qatar,” he said, according to TRT Haber news channel.
The defence spokesman also referred to the missile launched by Iran that was destroyed after heading towards Turkish airspace, as well as the deployment of six F-16 fighters and air defence systems in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus due to the US-Israeli-Iranian conflict. In this context, Aktürk reiterated “the importance of immediately ending the conflict that has led to the loss of innocent civilian lives” as well as “achieving a lasting ceasefire“.
“There is no concentration of Turkish forces on the border with Iran“
“Our naval and air forces are carrying out naval and air surveillance in the Eastern Mediterranean. Necessary precautions are being taken, in coordination with relevant state institutions, against possible risks and threats along our border with Iran,” he said, adding however that “there is no concentration of forces or unusual activity” on the Turkish-Iranian border.
Incirlik, located about 10 kilometres from the Turkish city of Adana, is a major NATO air base about 350 kilometres southwest of the Kürecik base in Malatya province, which hosts a NATO early warning radar system operated by US personnel and where a Patriot anti-missile system has been deployed in recent days. Both bases have been the subject of controversy and the scene of frequent protests in Turkey over the presence of US military personnel; recently, Turkish police also arrested three journalists for filming near Incirlik shortly after the start of the conflict in Iran, citing national security concerns.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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