Questions About Incirlik Options

[Guest_Sultan_*]

Turkey Central also has a category for Incirlik, at

Turkey Central Incirlik Air Base Category

The publicly available Web site for the 39th Air Base Wing can be found there, as well as other sites about Incirlik. The shopping, and bars, restaurants and nightclubs section also has the Web sites of many of the local businesses.

[nailsnotlong]

I notice this was posted a long time ago but hopefully someone will see it and reply.

We may be stationed there soon and I was wondering what it was like. Considering all the anti-American sentiments abroad I was wondering how safe it would be. Is it safe to travel and see the sites? I woudln't want to be confined to the base. I would love to get involved in the local area and see the culture and everything.

Thanks to anyone in advance for your response.

[Ken]

Hi Nailsnotlong,

You don't really have much to worry about if you're going to Incirlik. You are more likely to find more anti-American sentiment in a European country than you will in Turkey. Is it safe to travel and see the sights? In a word, yes. If you've never been to Turkey, you are likely to have quite a few misconceptions as I did before I came here. I ended up living here
permanently and have no plans to leave.

I'll try to give you a general description of it, I was stationed there before. Incirlik is a pretty nice base inside the fence, it's a Turkish base but is much like most other Air Force bases in the US in my opinion. facilities are good, housing is good, you have everything you need there. Outside the gate is "the village," which is where the Turkish locals live and make their money from the base. It is not as nice as inside the fence of course, and kind of reminds one of being in Mexico, but without the crime. As a part of the village is "the alley" which sounds like a dark scary place but is really just a main street with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants run by the locals. Drinking seems to be the most popular evening passtime with young airmen, and they get into trouble from time to time! You will find everyone there to be friendly and hospitable, moreso than most Americans or Europeans you meet, and many will look out for you and help you with anything you need. You are likely to leave there having made a few Turkish friends that you correspond with. You will probably be struck by how hospitable Turks are, especially to foreigners. Everybody speaks English in the village and the alley, and US currency is used there.

In the local area I seriously doubt you'll find any anti-American sentiment at all, just lots of people that want you to visit their shop, go to their bar, or buy a carpet. And that gets annoying after a while. Adana is about 15 minutes away. I haven't heard about anyone targeting Americans there at all, except for the occasional scam for money. Of course the usual precautions should be taken, and you'll be briefed about those. Turks have been an ally of the United States for a very long time, and are a member of NATO since 1951 I believe. They are longtime friends although we have our international disagreements at times as all countries do... I think the main reason they have disagreement about the Iraq war is because the UN did not approve of it, and I can certainly see their point.

Regarding terrorism, the main problem is a Kurdish separatist group that targets the Turkish police and military. They have no beef with Americans at all. I don't know of an American being targeted in Turkey since around the early 1990s, but that group has been wrapped up and shut down by the Turkish authorities for years. So to mention it would be to give it more emphasis than it deserves.

There will be lots of opportunities to see the sites, you have a contract tourism company that arranges trips, also the chapel and other organizations sometimes organize them. There is a beach area near there that is also popular in the summer, unfortunately if you want to get away from the alley for a weekend you might see some of the same merchants down at the beach! I found it a bit boring after a while since there isn't much but the ally and Adana to explore. Adana is an industrial town and doesn't seem to have a lot of "attractions" like Izmir, Istanbul, or the resort areas. It's a bit bleak by comparison. There is a decent mall near there, called "M-1" where there are modern stores with clerks that don't bother you and try to talk you into buying something! It also has a food court, etc., like most modern malls, and a movie theater.

Of course you'll have to form your own conclusions, but I can confidently tell you that it's not a bad assignment at all, and you'll probably miss it at least a little when you leave. Since you plan to see the sights, you'll have a good time unlike people who stay in the barracks the whole time! If you like to party, go to the Bunker Bar (a very popular hole in the wall that plays mostly rock and roll). Falcon bar is another rock bar, while Cheers and Smileys play hip-hop. There is also a chinese and a mexican restaurant that are pretty good, the Chinese restaurant actually had a chinese chef when I was there.

If you'd like to see some photos of Incirlik, there is album here:

Incirlik Photos

Photos of the Adana area can be found here:

Adana photos

I hope that helps you get an idea of what it will be like, if you have any other questions post them and I'll try to answer them promptly!

Also, if you would do me a favor, if you do go to Incirlik, tell the other people at Incirlik about Turkey Central, and this forum, I made it for Americans and other foreigners living in Turkey, so I'm happy I could be of help to you!

[nailsnotlong]

oh thank you so much. your reply has been most helpful. as soon as i found out i was excited. i was barely worried but you know i had to ask.

what is housing like? and can we bring our car?

of course i'll tell people. do you have it so that somehow all people getting stationed can be notified of it through the air force somehow? like through the family support center?

[Ken]

Hello again!

I've been up all night upgrading the forum to the latest version so I must be on your time! It accounts for your quick reply. I think you're a lot less worried than other people who are being stationed in Turkey for the first time. I had always wondered about how people who were stationed in Turkey or Alaska liked it and wouldn't mind going back. Now I know! Of course I'm now in Izmir which is a much more "Europeanized" place which reminds me a lot of San Diego. The things which will bug you the most at Incirlik are boredom occasionally, and the people in the alley who bother you to come in their shop when you just want to walk down the street. They aren't rude at all, it's just that if there are no customers they have nothing better to do than sit outside and try to coax you in under the guise of concern about how you're doing! I just got tired of the approach again and again. Times are hard in the alley these days with too many shops and not enough customers, there a lot more people stationed there a few years ago. Of course if you sit down and talk with the guys hanging around the shops they'll serve you tea and engage you in conversation all day if you want! Turks definitely enjoy conversation, they're friendly folks for sure, and that's the thing I like most about living here. It's very easy to make friends.

As for the car, yes, you can bring it, and drive in Turkey. I've heard different stories on what you need, but I think a US driver's license and a translation is all. I'm sure your unit will take care of that for you, as well as your housing. From what I saw, the housing on base is comparable to any US base, with quiet neighborhoods, lawns, etc. I'm talking about active duty here. Contractors, unless they're essential, live off base.

You might say Turks drive very "creatively" and "enthusiastically" to say the least. You've heard of defensive driving, you'll definitely learn it here! You'll find that you have to always expect the other driver to do something unexpected. However (knock on wood) I've never had an accident here, and I'm quite used to it. The only problem is when I go back to the states and forget where I am. You'll get information on shipping your vehicle before you leave, the folks at Incirlik do a good job at making things as hassle-free as possible.

I've talked to the public affairs office about Turkey Central but unfortunately they can't seem to endorse anything that's not US government. I haven't talked to the family support center, they will probably think I'm just trying to promote myself! Maybe some newly arriving person singing the praises of Turkey Central might make some inroads with them (hint, hint) The Turkey Central directory has a category for Websites about Incirlik here:

http://www.turkeycentral.com/directory/Des..._Base/index.php

And a category for businesses in the Alley here:

http://www.turkeycentral.com/directory/Des....ping/index.php

Not to mention, of course, the photo gallery (where anybody can upload photos for free) and this forum. Unfortunately people just don't know about it.

I'm surprised that more people at Incirlik or going to Incirlik don't visit this site or don't use the forum. I had thought that perhaps people were concerned about force protection issues and sensitive information being posted about the base. I would remove that as soon as I saw it, being that I retired from the OSI I'm very familiar with that issue! But I'm happy to see you've found it. I think only word of mouth is going to get the Incirlik forum going like it used to be... hopefully...

Okay! Enough of this blatant self-promotion!!!

I'm trying to think of anything else you might need to know... the schools there on the base I understand are pretty good, they have DOD teachers and the DOD school system from what I heard is of good quality. You can work on your college degree if you want, I used to teach for the University of Maryland there in my off-duty hours. There are lots of programs and things they put together at the base to keep people involved and busy, a nice BX and commissary, daycare, club, everything you need.

Incirlik is also a great place to buy furniture or do other shopping. There are furniture shops in the alley which will take a picture from a catalogue and reproduce the item for a lot less. Gold and jewelry is also cheap, basically anything involving labor is cheap there. Fine oriental carpets are also much cheaper there than in the States. They actually have classes on base, occasionally, to teach you what to look for when you're buying carpets because it's easy to get ripped off. You would need to ask around about the deals other people have gotten.

That's about all I can think of, I know that going to a new base involves a lot of unknowns, so I hope I've reduced that factor for you. Quite a lengthy post but I hope it helps. As always just post your questions and I'll answer them as best I can!

[hotdogwater]

My family and I are going to be stationed at Incirlik later this year. This is our first assignment, domestic or overseas. So far, most our questions have been answered by the forum, but we're wondering about a few things. First, how do long-distance phone calls work ... just in case we want to talk to our crazy relatives? Is it expensive? Does the base offer a service or do most people use international calling cards? Also, we likely won't be taking our piece of junk car with us ... is buying a car in Turkey feasible/advisable? Finally, is it safe for a young family to travel without the base tour group? Thanks in advance.

[Ken]

Hi Hotdogwater! and welcome to the forum...

There's a service on the base where you can call a DSN number, and connect to the US, so you don't have to pay the international number. Then you can connect to whatever number you want at stateside rates, with an ATT or other calling card. Makes it a lot cheaper! If it's a toll-free number you don't pay anythign of course. Helpful to take care of your bills or whatever. Off base and within Turkey, ATT also has a country-wide number if you need to call anywhere from within Turkey, the number is 008 001 2277. Other companies may have a number within Turkey as well, you can get it from their website, but chances are you'll be using the DSN system to call back to the states and just pay for the domestic call from there, with a calling card. You can buy them in the BX.

You can buy a car at Incirlik from another American if you want to, depending on availability, there's usually somebody selling a car there, but there aren't a lot of US military there as before so its hard to predict what the selection would be like. You can buy a Turkish car also if you want, anything from an ultra-cheapo local made car called a "Tofas" or "Sahin" to a Ford or Mercedes. The cars that are brought by Americans are on a customs form called a "beyanname," which you'll hear a lot about. Certain things that foreigners bring into the country, such as certain electronics and cars, need to be taken out of the country when they leave, or they can transfer it to another foreigner. They can't sell it to a Turk or they have to pay huge taxes often far beyond the value of the item. That's normally the procedure if you buy a car from a departing American... you just transfer the paperwork from them to you. If you buy a Turkish car, there's no such issue and you're free to sell it to whomever you wish when you leave.

The base also has a regular shuttle bus to take you wherever you need to go, such as when you first arrive and either haven't gotten a car or are waiting for yours to arrive. Taxis are very plentiful, and very cheap as well. You can take a taxi to downtown Adana or to the mall, I believe it costs about $15 or so max... If you're just traveling around the base, you'll probably just pay a few dollars at most. They also provide a bus to the mall on the weekends I believe, for free, but I'm not sure about that. If you want to rent a car, there are several rentacar places just outside the gate who would love to rent you one! If you don't mind driving an old beater, you can get some real bargains on rental cars. I think I paid about $250 a month for mine at one time. Generally, getting around won't be a problem.

You can travel without a tour group, and it is probably safer than where you are now. You'll get a driver's briefing and have to take a test to understand the local signs first. They drive aggressively here, you'll be surprised what Turks do when they're in a car, so you really need to look out. They generally ignore anything outside of their peripheral vision and will cut you off, make left turns from the right lane, tailgate you, and all manner of things which would be considered rude in the US! It kind of reminds me of a "Mr. Bean" episode where he's driving along completely unaware of the chain reaction of catastrophes he's caused and which are unfolding behind him. They'll drive down the wrong side of the road to pass cars that are stopped at a red light, then pull in ahead of them... Turks in the oncoming cars may just flash their lights and make room for the oncoming traffic miscreant, since they do the same thing! You'll see people driving mini-bikes at night wearing all dark clothing, with no lights and no reflectors, broken down cars parked in the left lane (with no lights on), using a big rock to warn you on your approach (they don't throw it at you, they put it in the middle of the road). Believe me, you get used to it. It's not a good idea to drive at night though. Most roads are completely unlit outside the cities.

The traffic police here generally don't "pull over" cars in the traditional sense, they have stationary checkpoints to check license, registration and insurance, and also run radar, but that's about all. During heightened security they may check your trunk. They're generally pretty friendly, and upon recognizing that you're from the base they'll often just flag you on because they figure everything's probably in order with you.

There is a scam here that you'll hear about... you may be driving at night and see some woman who appears to be distressed. Don't stop. Lots of people are waiting in the bushes, and when you get out, they'll go into your car and take whatever isn't nailed down. They won't hurt you, they're just thieves.... but always keep your doors locked and keep valuables out of sight. Honestly that's probably the biggest danger you'll face, but chances are you won't even see anything like that during your entire tour. You will see beggars coming up to your window at traffic lights occasionally and asking for money, or someone will be walking around trying to sell something, like cigarette-lighter chargers for your cell phone. Just have your window rolled up and ignore them, they go away.

Sometimes the base will put Adana off limits for a time, depending on what has happened recently, in an abundance of caution. They always insist that when you travel, you have someone with you. I never did since I always worked alone, and I've driven a route from Adana to Istanbul to Izmir, comparable to a trip from Washington DC to Portland Maine, dozens of times. I've never had any problems whatsoever.

Here's a good link for you, a driver safety briefing for Turkey.

Congrats on your assignment to Incirlik. I actually gave you more info that you asked for, but I remember how many questions I had before my first overseas assignment, and Turkey is a bit more difficult to form a mental picture of than many other countries. Let me know if there are any other questions I can answer for you, and once you get there, please visit the forum and let us know how you're doing!

[glovid]

[font=Times New Roman]
Hello,
I love this forum, its the basic, straight forward info I have been searching for!!
I have a couple of questions about living in the area of Ircirlik. How difficult and expensive would it be to rent a small house (or more importantly a place with an outdoor area) instead of an apartment?
I am also curious about how difficult it is to find a place that will allow dogs? All info/tid bits/anecdotes appreaciated!

[Ken]

First of all, thanks for the compliments regarding the forum... and we appreciate your help with your posts! Housing in Adana is cheaper than in areas such as Istanbul, Ankara, or Izmir. Of course prices vary according the the individual properties involved. It will not be expensive to find a house there, but it mostly depends on the area. I know of a person that had a lovely house with a lake view, I think he paid about $600 for it. I lived in Incirlik village and had one of the nicest apartments there, paying $450 USD a month. I overpaid, but it was perfect for me and had very strong construction (they have earthquakes in Adana sometimes). But overall Adana real estate is real bargain compared to other areas. If you're military, and if you use the housing office on base, expect to pay more. Locals know what the military housing allowance is, and increase prices accordingly. Housing office workers have even been known to tell their local "friends" to jack up the prices if it's a military member.

Real estate agencies often list nice places to live, but you will pay a month's rent for their commission. If you ask a local if they know of a good place to live, they will ALWAYS SAY YES. Even if they don't know of any places, they will try to find you one in hopes of receiving a commission. It works that way for everything, so just because they're friendly it doesn't mean they have your best interests in mind... they are only after a quick commission. Don't let the big smile and flattery that they use fool you on that. So keep this in mind if you ask a waiter, barman, taxi driver, gardener, or acquaintance to find you a place to live, rentacar, or anything else... The whole place works on networks like that and on a silver-tounged approach to relieve you of your money.

Of course, whether dogs are allowed or not is a matter with the landlord. I don't think you would have much problem finding someone that allows dogs, the only thing might be that they stipulate the dog doesn't go inside, since some people out in central/eastern Turkey see dogs as being animals that should not be in the house. I would recommend contacting a real estate agent in Adana (there are plenty), and ask them to find you a place that allows dogs. In my opinion, paying the commission is worth seeing a selection of houses and being sure you've found a place you'll be happy with. If the people at the real estate company don't speak English, they'll find somebody to translate, there's sure to be someone around. Don't take anybody from Incirlik village unless they're recommended by someone who knows them well. If they come translate for you I can guarantee they'll want something from you later (at minimum a "loan" that they will never pay back), even though they insist they're doing it just to be nice. They're not being nice... trust me on that one.

One last note... real estate companies in Turkey don't have a multiple listing service. That means that if one real estate company doesn't have what you want, visit another one and you may find a completely different selection. It will also help if you search online for an apartment before you visit a real estate company, you can screen what you're looking for then educate the real estate person on what you're looking for... Check the real estate forum for postings regarding finding a house or apartment using the Turkish websites instead of those targeting foreigners. You'll pay A LOT less. Also ask around for other people living in Adana. There's bound to be a few contractors living down there since Incirlik Village is a bit bleak. They'll be a great source of info on where to live.

When you finally get to Incirlik, would you please post regarding your experience there, including your efforts to find a house? Once you go through it you'll be the expert around here!

[glovid]

Once agin, tremendously helpful information. I will be travelling over in January to look for a place to live, can't wait! I will be happy to help out with info on this forum, also can add a female perspective to some of these transitional experiences. Thanks!!

[Ken]

My pleasure. One correction though for any military people going to Incirlik, I forgot that military people have to live on base, unlike Ankara and Izmir. If you're working for VBR or another contractor, it depends on whether or not you're "mission essential." There are also lots of "old timer" contractors at Incirlik who would be good sources of information on the best places to live in the Adana area. Good luck to you, I hope you find a great place!

[Garduccii]

Great Forum! I am going to Incirlik in June and I was wondering can I bring my firearms with me? if so do I have to have them locked up in the armory? Thanks.

[Ken]

Hello Garduccii!

First of all, welcome to the forum, always nice to see a new member! I live across the street from the US base in Izmir, so I walked across and asked the security police about it, they called the Incirlik Law Enforcement desk. Here's the scoop:

Unfortunately, you can't bring firearms into Turkey, but you can buy shotguns there and ship them back to the US (you can't keep them in your house). I had a feeling that was the policy, but I wanted to make sure I was giving you accurate information.

Regarding buying shotguns, there are two stores outside of Incirlik which sell them, one of the stores (Double Eagle) has a website listed with Turkey Central here:
http://www.turkeycentral.com/directory/Des...pping/index.php

Lots of US military members buy hunting shotguns in Turkey because of their quality and the beautiful engraving you can get with them, I think you can also have a shotgun custom engraved for you if you want, and I've heard you can actually re-sell a shotgun like this in the US for more than you paid for it. I have seen a few 12-gauge pump shotguns in the shops that look a lot more like assault shotguns than hunting shotguns, so if you want to buy one of those, you can do that too since there seems to be no distinction between what is a hunting shotgun and what is an assault/defense shotgun. You just have to ship it home when you buy it!

If you want to go hunting while you're in Turkey, I have a contact in the alley outside of Incirlik, and interestingly enough, his nick-name is also "Shotgun!" He owns the Bunker Bar and occasionally organizes group trips of GIs to go boar hunting, deep sea fishing, etc... he can arrange the rental of a shotgun for hunting for you. He normally needs about six people and some dogs (he arranges that too) for a hunt. Then they have a barbecue party afterwards. He does it more for fun and in a spirit of friendship than for any financial purpose. I can assure you that after a week or two at Incirlik you'll know where the Bunker Bar is, otherwise just ask anyone in the alley where it is, or where you can find "Shotgun," and they'll tell you. They pretty much all speak English there.

Don't get the idea that Turkey is handgun-free, though... Some Turkish citizens do own and sometimes carry concealed handguns if they have a permit, even the handgun itself is registered and ISSUED by the government, and only if the Turkish citizen can justify the need. They get a cheap little .32 single action auto or a .38 special usually.

If you have any other questions about Incirlik, they have a site at www.incirlik.af.mil If you access it from a .mil account at work you'll get a lot more information than if you access the site from home.

Hope that answers your questions and I hope to see you back here in the forums with any other questions or comments/information about your coming PCS. I think you'll be glad you were assigned there.

[Garduccii]

Thanks for the info, that really blows, I'll make due though. The hunting trips sound like a good time, I will have to look him up.

[Ken]

By the way if you want to see some photos of Turkey, the alley and village outside Incirlik go here:

Turkey photos

There is an album of Incirlik photos there. No photos of the base though, the base looks pretty much like any other air base or AFB in the States anyway!

[Garduccii]

Ben,

What are the average prices for ISP's in Turkey? How strict are the vehicle inspections? I have my windows tinted. What are the prices for gas on post? Hope I'm not being bothersome, thanks for your help.

[Ken]

Sorry for the delay, I still need to ask these questions on the base. On base the prices are roughly the same as in the US. You can also buy gas coupons from the BX, which are honored by certain Turkish companies that gas stations, it keeps you from having to pay the local taxes when you buy gas. Good for if you're taking a long trip. They're sold by the litre, so off base you ask them for a certain amount of liters rather than by price. You get used to it rather quickly. If you're mostly around base all the time, you'll be buying it on base in US dollars from AAFES. They have pumps in front of the Shoppette. As far as the ISPs go, if you go with TTNet which is the main service provider, the prices can be found here:

http://www.ttnet.net.tr/adslucret.htm

The page is in Turkish, but here's some Turkish translation to get you through it:

Hizi: speed
Kota: quota
Baglanti Ucret: connection fee
Aylik Ucret: monthly fee
Limitin Uzerindeki Her MB icin Ucret: Basically says cost per megabyte

Tax is included with the prices. That's for ADSL. Dialup is quite slow here, and you have to pay for basically every minute you're on the telephone here, even for local calls, so I wouldn't recommend a regular dailup connection.

Regarding the window tint, I'll have to ask about that...

[Ken]

Got your answer on the tinted windows. Unless it's installed by the factory, the tint has to be removed. If it is factory-installed as an option, bring paperwork with you that shows it was installed as a factory option and you'll be okay. I'd carry it with you on the plane or in your luggage in case your car gets there before your hold baggage or household goods do, but that's up to you of course. I had my car inspected and they are not any more strict than in the US, it's probably a similar system but it can take a long time. It's not like you just drop off the car and come back later, you sit in a line and move up until it's your turn. So it can take easily half the day if they're busy. You'll get more current info when you get to Incirlik, mine is a bit dated! Hope that helps, though...

[Blanchy]

Wow. I've just found this site, and seen this part about Incirlik. In June it will be ten years since I was there. Maybe things have changed with the people, but it was one of the best 2 months of my life!! We worked hard and played just a little bit harder!! The people were absolutely brilliant and looked after you like you were family. They couldn't do enough for you. They knew they'd get some of your business at some point, so treated you well. The photos bring back lots of memories and even though I'm going a little grey now, and have 3 great children, I'm sure that if anyone goes there they'll have a good time. Blanchy.

[Ken]

Oh I agree, if you go there, especially TDY, you'll have a good time! Living there in the Alley for three years is another thing completely, but the people there are friendly and they definitely look after you. I must say I don't miss it, and wouldn't want to spend another three years living off base there, but I would definitely enjoy another visit. I was amazed at how they remember people who return, I was there for a temporary assignment in 1998, then returned as a contractor in 2003, and some of the people there remembered me. Did you by any chance go to Mujdats? Did you get the "special coffee?" or do that contest where you chop toothpicks with a knife, blindfolded? Anyone going there, ask about it, it's great fun! I did make a few Turkish friends there, they still call me once in a while to this day, just to say hello and see how I'm doing.

I hope we get more people posting about their experiences at Incirlik!