Incirlik celebrates 50 years of cooperation

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. S.J.B. Bryant
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (USAFENS) --  Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister of Britain, the Warsaw Pact was signed and Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus. The year was 1955, and as the United States Air Force opened the gates of what would soon be called Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, an American/Turkish relationship began.

The history of the base actually began four years earlier when the U.S. Engineering Group began construction of a runway in the spring of 1951. The Air Force originally wanted to use the base as an emergency staging and recovery site for medium and heavy bombers and the Turkish General Staff and U.S. Air Force signed a joint use agreement for it in 1954.

On Feb. 21, 1955, the base (originally named Adana Air Base) sported the 7216th Air Base Squadron as host U.S. unit, and changed the way the U.S. Air Force’s presence in Europe and Asia was viewed by other countries.

Many people stationed at Incirlik AB today were not even a glimmer in their mother’s eye in 1955. But the base caught the eye of other countries such as the Soviet Union. According to historical reports found online at www.incirlik.af.mil, Incirlik was instrumental in responding to crises in the Middle East. In fact, Project 119L, a U.S. Air Force meteorological balloon launching activity, conducted special operations here in 1955. Following balloon operations, pilots began flying U-2 reconnaissance missions as part of Operation Overflight.

In 1958, the base was renamed “Incirlik” (meaning fig orchard) — the same year the Lebanon crisis occurred prompting the United States to order Tactical Air Command Composite Strike Force Bravo to deploy from America to Incirlik AB.

Throughout events such as the stand-up of NATO units and arms embargoes between Turkey and America , Incirlik has been a mainstay in Adana. The base was a key contributor in the Gulf War era serving as a hub for operations such as Operations Quick Transit, Provide Comfort and Northern Watch. Later it supported Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

Incirlik Air Base – celebrating 50 years of Turkish/American partnership.