Friday, August 7, 2006


Turkey - Turkish Daily News - Original Article (English)    

Incirlik Air Base, a key part of U.S.
strategy in the region. (above and below).

Incirlik Air Base  


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Radikal daily yesterday dedicated a huge amount of space to a report on recent incidents at a military base in Incirlik, Adana Province, part of which is used by the United States.

The report recalled the humiliation that was allegedly suffered by a Turkish Major and his wife last year, who claim to have been forced to lie on the floor while U.S. soldiers searched them with dogs. As reported by Sabah at the time, the Major resigned from the air force, angry over Turkish and American attempts to cover up the incident.

This kind of behavior by American personnel was allegedly repeated just a few days ago, when a Turkish non-commissioned officer, returning to the base with his young child who had a fever, claims to have been searched in the same fashion. Before the officer and his child were allowed to enter the base, the sick child waited in the car a stringent search was carried out.

American military personnel on duty at the base's entry checkpoint are now said to be applying stringent security and search measures to Turkish personnel serving on the base. All vehicles entering the base, particularly those belonging to Turkish citizens, are being very tightly controlled. But contrary to a reciprocal agreement between the United States and Turkey, these security measures are being applied not only to civilians, but to Turkish military personnel as well. Turkish officials and families residing on the base are the most frequent victims of U.S. security checks. It seems that a thin and at times blurred line separates such checks from actual maltreatment.

Security checks have often been a tense issue between the U.S. and Turkey. The report in Radikal alleged that the U.S. personnel at the checkpoint had even attempted to search a Turkish commander serving at the base.