Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Incirlik becomes logistical, potential “operations” to the East.

Incirlik is associated with an attack on Iran.

Incirlik was built in 1954 in Turkey's Adana province on the eastern Mediterranean coast.






Incirlik, Turkey: Launchpad to points East?
3/25/2005

The huge NATO airbase complex at Incirlik, Turkey, played a key role in the Cold War, in the Persian Gulf War, and in enforcing the northern “no-fly zone” against Saddam.

Now it’s being prepared to provide logistical support for potential “operations” to the east. The article says Afghanistan and Iraq. But other nations may read this quote from Defense News in different ways– peacekeeping requires logistical support (eg, the UN faces a huge logistics burden when it deploys 10,000 peacekeepers to Sudan later this year). Iran will read it as a building military threat. Kyrgyzstan may see it as either a peacekeeping lifeline– or the launchpad for western troops. Syria is only “slightly east” of Adana (more south, actually).

What the report means is that Turkey and the US are preparing “operational options.” It also says the contretemps –wrought by Turkey’s refusal to allow US troops to base out of Turkey in the March 2003 attack on Saddam– is now history.

Here’s the report from Defense News (March 24), by Umit Enginsoy:

Turkey is planning to accept very soon a U.S. request to use the critical air base at Incirlik in southern Turkey as a logistical hub for operations east of the country, a Turkish official said late March 23.

I expect a Turkish government decision on Incirlik very soon. I don t know exactly when, but very soon, said Murat Mercan, deputy chairman of Turkey s ruling party. He spoke at a panel of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.

Mercan did not elaborate, but other Turkish officials in Washington said that Ankara was preparing to accept Incirlik s use as a logistical hub for U.S. missions in Iraq and Afghanistan…

…Incirlik s future has been under discussion between Ankara and Washington since early last year. Ankara earlier rejected informal U.S. requests to deploy two Germany-based squadrons of F-16 fighters to Incirlik and to conduct training flights for U.S. fighters in central Turkey.

Built in 1954 in Turkey's Adana province on the eastern Mediterranean coast, Incirlik has been hosting U.S. military aircraft for nearly five decades. But after Turkey refused to allow U.S. forces to deploy on its soil for use in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, the U.S. military removed its fighter jets.

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:nIN-2zyJVRMJ:austinbay.net/blog/index.php%3Fp%3D182++Incirlik+att....



US's Incirlik in Turkey is preparing for new era
Evren Deger
The New Anatolian / ANKARA

Govt has yet give its official response to the US request to use Incirlik as a logistic base for operations against Afghanistan and Iraq but preparation for the airbase's new era are already underway

Turkey has yet to convey its official response for the request of its close ally, the U.S., to use Incirlik Airbase for logistical purposes during its operations against Afghanistan and Iraq, but preparations for the airbase's new era are already in progress.

Sources told The New Anatolian that although the General Staff office has some reservations, it has submitted a positive response to the government.

It's known that in the wake of a series of talks, the government adopted the idea of allowing the U.S. to use Incirlik as a logistical base. But this view has yet to be officially voiced.

Despite all, the U.S. has already started preparations for Incirlik's new future.

Maintenance of the main runway, ruined due to the base's heavy schedule, is to be carried out between April 29 and May 13.

Meanwhile, the barracks, built instead of a tent city, is also undergoing maintenance. In addition to all this, an aircraft hangar is being kept on alert for a possible troop transfer. The hangar can hold around 1,000 soldiers. There's also international call and Internet access from the hangar.

Debate is on

The government is reportedly waiting for April 24 to make its final decision on the Incirlik Airbase. Although this was denied by the government sources, it's been claimed that the government is holding this card against the possibility official recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide.

On the other side of the coin, uncertainty about the details continues.

It's claimed that government will allow the U.S. to use Incirlik as a logistical base through a secret resolution dated June 23, 2003, while others insist that the Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement, dated 1980, allows the government to give permission to the United States.

Legal experts had been saying that the agreement was signed as part of a NATO agreement and does not allow the government to let foreign troops on Turkish soil.

Ammunition depot

If the government allows Incirlik to be used as a logistical base, the Adana Airbase will turn into a ammunition depot.

In addition to food, supplies, etc. there would be various kinds of ammunition in the base. Bombs, tank shells, and different kinds of rockets would be brought to Incirlik for their transfer to Afghanistan and Iraq.

The New Anatolian
2005-04-09 18:44:38

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=7718


Reference:

Hürriyet: UNITED STATES WANTS INCIRLIK BASE
Turkish Deputy Chief of General Staff Ilker Basbug announced that the United States demanded that Turkey should make some facilitation for bases in Incirlik town of southern Adana province and central Konya province. Basbug hinted that Washington was taking pulse related with establishment of three new sea bases in the Black Sea. Replying to questions of reporters, Basbug said, "we have received some request from the United States. We are working on them." Basbug noted that there was no need for a parliamentary decision to meet some of these demands within the scope of Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement (DECA). Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he had not received any demand for Incirlik base.
http://www.turkishnewsline.com/turk_basini.php?tarih_turk=1085691600


Cumhuriyet: HERE IS THE LIST OF BUSH
In talks between Turkish and U.S. officials which continued for a long time, U.S. said they wanted to make use of almost all strategic facilities of Turkey. It was reported that Bush will bring onto agenda establishment of land base in Thrace, and naval bases in Iskenderun, Trabzon and Samsun. U.S. President will propose deployment of 18,000 soldiers to six places on Mardin-Batman-Silopi line and want the soldiers to come and go for the operations outside Turkey without giving notice. Bush will ask for Incirlik to be broadened or turning of Batman Airport into a base. Bush will also ask for permission for use of Sabiha Gokcen Airport. U.S. President will ask Turkey to grant passages to U.S. ships from the straits without notice.
http://www.turkishnewsline.com/turk_basini.php?tarih_turk=1088110800

If an operation is launched against Iran after Iraq, demands relating to Incirlik might make Turkish-U. S. relations undergo a tough test one more time. I hope the "hawks" act more prudently towards Iran.
January 29, 2005
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