How Türkiye retains full control over Incirlik Air Base in Adana

Adana’s strategic position in the Middle East has long made the Incirlik Air Base one of the region’s most vital military installations.

After Iranian missiles entered Turkish airspace only to be neutralised by NATO air defence assets stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean, questions have swirled about the Incirlik Air Base’s ownership and operational authority.

But official sources, as well as independent defence and security analysts, have categorically said that the base – along with every facility on it – belongs entirely to the Republic of Türkiye.

In other words, Incirlik Air Base in Türkiye’s southern province of Adana remains under the full control of the Turkish Armed Forces.

“The Incirlik Air Base remains a Turkish facility under the ownership of the Republic of Türkiye and the control of the Turkish Armed Forces,” according to an official statement released on Wednesday.

“All activities are conducted in line with national legislation and Türkiye’s sovereign right,” it says.

The statement emphasises that all facilities at the base are the property of Türkiye and that every operation occurs “under the oversight and coordination of Turkish authorities, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements to which Türkiye is a party”.

Mesut Hakki Casin, a defence expert and professor of international law and security, tells TRT World that Türkiye's official position is rooted in international law.

“Türkiye is a receiving state for NATO and NATO soldiers,” he says.

“According to international law and NATO agreements, (the base) is fully under the Turkish Armed Forces control,” he adds.

Türkiye fields the second-largest army in NATO, a defensive alliance of 32 countries from Europe and North America, and serves as the host nation for allied forces, while retaining “absolute command” over its military bases.

The base’s history reinforces Türkiye’s sovereignty over the facility.

Its construction began in 1951 following decisions at the Second Cairo Conference in 1943 and was completed in 1954. Its operational use started after the signing of the Military Facilities Agreement on June 23, 1954.

Following the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation and the subsequent US arms embargo, all non-NATO US military activity at Incirlik was halted in 1975.

After the embargo was lifted in September 1978, operations resumed under a revised legal framework. 

The Defence and Economic Cooperation Agreement (SEIA), signed on March 29, 1980, replaced the earlier agreement and clearly defined the terms of the base’s use.

The Turkish Armed Forces statement notes that Incirlik “can support NATO missions, bilateral agreements, and UN Security Council operations, with all security and overall control under Turkish authorities”.

Casin highlights the base’s strategic value, saying it is located at “a very critical point” in the Middle East.

“The Incirlik Air Base is one of the most important air bases in the Middle East and in the wider region,” he says.

Established during the Cold War to counter Soviet nuclear missiles and gather intelligence, the facility today hosts the Turkish F-16 Combat Air Squadron, along with reconnaissance and unmanned aircraft, logistics systems, and air vehicles.

“It has a very strategic location, which gives it defensive and air combat capability,” he adds.

In international relations, ownership and sovereign control are sometimes viewed as separate concepts.

However, when asked whether Türkiye exercises full authority over all operations regardless of foreign aircraft or personnel, Casin’s response is unequivocal. 

“Of course, it is a military air base under the Turkish Armed Forces. All military activities are conducted by the Turkish sovereign rights and national legislation,” he says.

He draws parallels with other NATO hosts. “The same is the case in the UK, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This is strategic deterrence,” he says.

Every aircraft, helicopter, unmanned vehicle and missile defence system “is fully controlled by the Turkish command control,” he insists.

Casin dismisses any suggestion that foreign troops compromise Turkish authority.

“Türkiye is a host nation for NATO allies, and even some others, like Qatari forces,” he says.

The entire arrangement exists in Turkish sovereign oversight, he says.

The Turkish Armed Forces also confirms that military personnel from the US, Spain, Poland and Qatar are stationed at Incirlik “performing tasks including air defence, communications support, and combat service support as part of NATO security assurances for Türkiye”.

Crucially, any foreign personnel, equipment, or use of facilities “occurs with Turkish knowledge and approval”.

The base operates under the Turkish Air Force’s 10th Main Jet Base Command and hosts in-flight refuelling aircraft, combat jets, general-purpose helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles — all under Turkish direction.