Powerful message to US from Türkiye: Why was name of Incirlik Air Base changed?

Dr. Dogacan Basaran Exclusive — Given increasing anti-American sentiment in Türkiye, the name of the 10th Tanker Base Command at Incirlik, which became synonymous with the slogan "Hands off Incirlik, America go home," was changed, as the decision was announced on April 18.

"The name of the 10th Tanker Base Command located at Incirlik has been changed to the 10th Main Jet Base Command in parallel with the needs of our Air Force," Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk, Press and Public Relations Advisor of the Ministry of National Defense (MSB) said at a press conference.

With the announcement of the precise determination, questions were raised as if the name change stemmed from technical reasons or had a political dimension.

Both cases seem to be valid. Technically, Incirlik is used as a jet base rather than a tanker base. Therefore, it is necessary to convert the actual situation into legal compliance.

However, the issue can not be solely confined to this aspect.

'You're not a tenant here'

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) established the Incirlik Air Base in 1951. The base served the U.S. containment strategy against the Soviet Union during the Baghdad Pact and later the CENTO era and was also an effective tool in the "Hammer Force" operation.

In recent years, despite its presence at this base, which stands out for its proximity to the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, the U.S. has been conducting such a Türkiye-hostile strategy in related regions.

The U.S. strategy, which it has pursued throughout the years toward Türkiye, does not comply with the law of alliance.

Of course, the use of a base on Turkish soil for purposes that threaten Türkiye's security is unacceptable. Therefore, by changing the base's official name, Ankara seems to have sent a message to the U.S.: "I am the real owner of the base, and you are the tenant."

If Washington does not heed this message, seizing the base may become a reality.

US connections with terrorist organizations

U.S. administrations have been using terrorist organizations as a proxy tool. Undoubtedly, this situation threatens Türkiye's national security and, thus, its territorial integrity.

According to several media reports, American commanders provide training to PKK terrorists, and funds are allocated to the terrorist organization PKK from the White House's annual budget under the guise of "fighting against the terrorist organization Daesh."

Furthermore, there are allegations that Incirlik Air Base is used as a center to provide intelligence support for the protection of terrorists.

In such an environment, it is possible to state that Türkiye reminds the U.S. that it is a tenant in Incirlik by sending the message out loud: "Distance your policies from terrorism that targets Türkiye."

'Anti-Turkish front'

Greece has been arming the Aegean islands left to Greece under the Treaty of Lausanne for years despite being demilitarized. This poses one of the most severe obstacles to the normalization process between Ankara and Athens.

However, the issue is much more complex than it seems. The U.S. administration, which supports the PKK terrorist organization in Syria, has also been arming Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA) in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It is unlikely a coincidence that on the day the White House agreed with Türkiye on the modernization of F-16s, it also sold F-35s to Greece, deployed military reinforcements to Alexandroupolis, and lifted the arms embargo on the GCA, thus arming the GCA in recent years.

The U.S. is encircling Türkiye from the south to hide its fundamental policies because the bigger picture is not just the Eastern Mediterranean.

The arming of the PKK terrorist organization by the U.S. in northern Syria is also part of this plan.

Furthermore, due to its rich natural gas resources, the Eastern Mediterranean has become one of the main clash zones of regional and global power struggles. In such an environment, the U.S. and its allies support the construction of an anti-Turkish front in the region by supporting Greece and the GCA.

Incirlik Air Base is a crucial military base, and its strategic importance in this equation is crucial. It is important to monitor developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and intervene in the region in necessary situations. Therefore, Türkiye seems to need to remind the U.S., its NATO ally, that it is a tenant in Incirlik.

Claim about Incirlik's role in Israeli Defense

Türkiye is among the states that have been demonstrating the clearest stance against Israel's genocide in Gaza.

Since Oct. 7, Ankara has been making efforts to stop Israel's attacks, and it continues to stick to this stance.

However, there are claims that the U.S. used Incirlik Air Base to share intelligence with Israel to prevent retaliatory attacks following Iran's attack on the consulate in Damascus on April 1, in retaliation for the attacks in Gaza on April 14th. In short, there is a claim that "the U.S. protected Israel through its base in Türkiye."

It is vital to emphasize that Türkiye has denied these allegations and that the allegations do not reflect the truth. However, the emergence of such a claim is disturbing. Allowing Türkiye to be abused to protect Israel, the perpetrator of the killing of 33,000 Muslims in Gaza, is not possible.

In parallel with this context, Türkiye may have taken a proactive step by reminding the U.S. administration that it is a tenant at Incirlik, as a precaution against the possibility of the U.S. using Turkish territory to protect Israel in the future.

Making room for Eurofighter aircraft

One incident that opened the road to increasing tensions in Ankara's relations with Washington was Türkiye's removal from the F-35 fighter jet program. Incirlik Air Base's name was changed, and space was made available for Eurofighter aircraft.

Eurofighters have attracted attention as British-German-made fighter jets were considered after Türkiye’s removal from the F-35 program.

Therefore, even making room for Eurofighter's at Incirlik sends a powerful message to the U.S.

To conclude, Türkiye changed the name of the 10th Tanker Base Command at Incirlik to the 10th Main Jet Base Command. While this change may be based on technical reasons, it carries a strong message.

With this decision, Türkiye communicated to the U.S. administration that "the country is not dependent on the U.S. As long as Washington abides by the laws of the alliance, it can maintain a military presence in Adana."

Therefore, changing the name of the 10th Tanker Base Command at Incirlik is indeed a significant geopolitical choice.