Mürted Airfield Command (ICAO: LTAE) (Turkish: Mürted Hava Meydan Komutanlığı, formerly Mürted Air Base, Mürted Hava Üssü (until 1993), Akıncı Air Base, Akıncı Hava Üssü (1993-2016), was an air base of the Turkish Air Force located 35 km (22 mi) northwest of Ankara,[2]Turkey. During the July 2016 coup d'état attempt the air base was used by pro-coup soldiers, and government forces bombed runway thresholds to prevent pro-coup forces from landing or taking off. Following the failed coup, Akıncı Air Base was redesignated with its former name, Mürted, and it was suggested the facility be converted to a memorial or a park.
Initially named "Mürted", Akıncı AFB hosted the 4th Air Wing (Ana Jet Üssü or AJÜ) of the Turkish Air Force's 1st Air Force Command. It was one of the military installations in Turkey allocated to the United States in 1950.[3] It opened in 1960 with the purpose of defending Ankara.[4]
The US Air Force 7393rd Munitions Support Squadron (7393rd MUNSS) was activated as Detachment 33 of the 7232nd Munitions Maintenance Group in Mürted on July 1, 1965. The unit was re-designated as Detachment 8 of the USAF 7250th Support Group on February 1, 1968, which was finally renamed to 7393rd MUNSS on July 1, 1972. Logistical support for the unit came from the US Logistics Group (TUSLOG), headquartered in Ankara.[3] Later on, the munition squadron's name was changed to 739th MUNSS.[5] The detachment 739th MUNSS was part of the nuclear weapons custodian 39th Wing's Logistics Group stationed at Incirlik AFB. On April 25, 1996, the nuclear mission at the Akıncı AFB was deactivated following the end of the Cold War (1947–1991).[5] Today, six Weapons Storage and Security System (WS3) vaults are operational in stand-by status at the air base.[6]
The air squadron, which received the first F-16C/D jet fighters was the training squadron "Öncel". In 1999, the training squadron was re-designated as 143rd squadron, and became part of the Akıncı AFB because other jet fighters at the air base were of the same type, which enabled more efficient maintenance and training.[9]
A coup d'état attempt took place in Turkey on July 15, 2016, which was staged by factions of the armed forces. Turkish Chief of the General StaffHulusi Akar was taken hostage at the headquarters by the pro-coup soldiers, and transported by helicopter to the Akıncı AFB, where he was detained. As the coup attempt collapsed, he was freed the next morning by special forces.[4][11]
It is alleged that the Akıncı AFB was the command center of the pro-coup military.[4] At 22:00 hours local time on July 15, 2016, Akın Öztürk, a four-star General in the Turkish Air Force and a member of the Supreme Military Council, who served as the 30th Commander of the Turkish Air Force between 2013 and 2015, reportedly started the coup d'état in Ankara by ordering of F-16 jet fighters of the 141st squadron to take off. The operation was led by Air Pilot Staff Lieutenant colonel Hakan Karakuş, who is the son-in-law of Akın Öztürk. The personnel of the 141st squadron had been sent home in the afternoon with the remark that their duty terminated earlier on that day.[12]
Six F-16 jet fighters involved in the coup were transferred from the 8th Air Wing at Diyarbakır Air Base the day before because of their improved precision night-attack capability at low flight and targeting pods.[13] Two tanker aircraft of type KC-135R flown by the 101st Squadron at İncirlik AFB were employed for aerial refueling so the jet fighters could operate hours nonstop over Ankara. The jet fighters of Akıncı AFB were supported by Sikorsky S-70 and Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters from the Ankara Güvercinlik Army Air Base. While they were flying low at subsonic speeds and directing air strikes towards governmental targets and civilians,[14] anti-coup jet fighters from other air bases in Turkey took off and chased the pro-coup aircraft. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his constitutional capacity as the Commander-in-chief of the Turkish Armed Forces, ordered the shootdown of the pro-coup F-16s still in the air.[12] Anti-coup F-16 jet fighters of the 9th Air Wing from the Bandırma Air Base chased the pro-coup F-16s in the air,[15] and the F-4E/2020 Terminatorjet bombers of the 1st Air Wing's 111th squadron from the Eskişehir Air Base bombed the runway thresholds of the air base to prevent the aircraft operating from Akıncı AFB from landing or taking off.[14] The pro-coup aircraft were thus forced to land at other air bases.[16]
President Erdoğan credited the media and the people of Turkey in standing up against the coup plotters and said that the final straw that broke the back of the attempted coup was when the Turkish government dropped 12 bombs on the Akıncı Air Base.[17]
Relocation and redevelopment
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said while addressing a crowd in the Kazan district of Ankara, which houses the base: "That Akıncı Air Base which nested traitors will be closed and it will be turned into a place where the memories of our martyrs will be kept alive".[18] On August 12, 2016, Minister of National DefenseFikri Işık stated that there was popular support for relocating the air base and redeveloping the area into a "democracy park".[19]
On September 6, 2016, the Turkish Air Force renamed the air base "Mürted", which was the name it went by until 1995. "Mürted" means "apostate", and it was given to the site in reference to the desertion of some troops of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I (reigned 1389‒1403) in the Battle of Ankara (1402) against the Timurid Empire.[11] The base's status was downgraded so that it is commanded by a group captain instead of an air commodore before.[20] With a governmental decree issued under the state of emergency, the three air squadrons were deactivated, and the air base jet fighters were transferred to be embedded at the 5th Air Wing Merzifon AFB, 1st Air Wing Eskişehir AFB and 3rd Training Wing Konya AFB.[20] The final destination of the TAI facilities hosted by the air base remains unclear.[20]
Name and status change
The facility was initially named "Mürted" after the location in Ankara at its establishment as an airbase. In 1993, the air base was renamed "Akıncı" in honor of Staff Group captain Erol Akıncı, who died during a flight mission in 1968. The facility's status as an airbase was downgraded in September 2016 to an airfield following the 15 July 2016 coup d'état attempt because it played a major role as the headquarters of the plot, and subsequently relocation of the 4th Air Wing.[21]
^. World Aero Data. Archived from the original on March 5, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
^"Mürted ne demek? Mürted Hava Üssü nerede?". Habertürk (in Turkish). July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
^ abLeiser, Gary (January 1986). "HQ TUSLOG – A Brief History". USAF in Europe. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
^ abc"194 killed in quashed Gülenist coup attempt: Military". Hürriyet Daily News. July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
^ ab"United States Air Forces in Europe – Munitions Support Squadron [MUNSS]". Global Security. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
^(PDF). NRDC. p. 79. Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^. F-6 Net. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^. F-6 Net. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ ab. F-6 Net. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Demirören Haber Ajansı - Son Dakika Haberleri ve Güncel Haberler".
^ ab"Turkey's Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar rescued from pro-coup soldiers". Daily Sabah. July 16, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
^ ab"Akın Öztürk'ün ilk fotoğrafı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). July 17, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
^"Tanker uçak 'vururuz' denilerek indirildi!". Hürriyet (in Turkish). July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
^ ab"F-16'lar kalkmasın diye Ankara Akıncı Üssü'nün pistlerinin bombalandığı iddia edildi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). July 16, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
^Özbek, Tolga (July 16, 2016). "İşte darbe girişiminin perde arkası". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved July 22, 2016.
^"Ankara'daki Akıncı Üssü böyle vuruldu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). July 22, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
^"Erdoğan says he does not believe coup attempt is over, vows to take further steps". Hürriyet Daily News. August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
^"Turkish government to move main military bases out of Ankara, Istanbul". Hürriyet Daily News. July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
^"Akıncı Air Base to become 'democracy park'". Hürriyet Daily News. August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
^ abc"Turkish Air Force changes name of main base in Ankara used in coup attempt". Hürriyet Daily News. September 6, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
^"Ankara Haberleri: Akıncı yeniden Mürted oldu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). September 6, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
External links
Media related to Akıncı Air Base at Wikimedia Commons
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Murted Airfield Command ICAO LTAE Turkish Murted Hava Meydan Komutanligi formerly Murted Air Base Murted Hava Ussu until 1993 Akinci Air Base Akinci Hava Ussu 1993 2016 was an air base of the Turkish Air Force located 35 km 22 mi northwest of Ankara 2 Turkey During the July 2016 coup d etat attempt the air base was used by pro coup soldiers and government forces bombed runway thresholds to prevent pro coup forces from landing or taking off Following the failed coup Akinci Air Base was redesignated with its former name Murted and it was suggested the facility be converted to a memorial or a park Murted Airfield CommandMurted Hava Meydan KomutanligiIATA noneICAO LTAESummaryAirport typeMilitaryOwnerTurkish Air ForceOperator1st TuAF Command 4th WingLocationAnkara TurkeyElevation AMSL2 767 ft 843 mCoordinates40 04 44 N 032 33 56 E 40 07889 N 32 56556 E 40 07889 32 56556 Coordinates 40 04 44 N 032 33 56 E 40 07889 N 32 56556 E 40 07889 32 56556MapMurted AirfieldLocation of airfield in TurkeyRunwaysDirection Length Surfacem ft21 03 3 351 10 992 AsphaltSource DAFIF 1 Contents 1 Background 2 Coup d etat attempt 3 Relocation and redevelopment 4 Name and status change 5 Other airports in Ankara 6 References 7 External linksBackground EditInitially named Murted Akinci AFB hosted the 4th Air Wing Ana Jet Ussu or AJU of the Turkish Air Force s 1st Air Force Command It was one of the military installations in Turkey allocated to the United States in 1950 3 It opened in 1960 with the purpose of defending Ankara 4 The US Air Force 7393rd Munitions Support Squadron 7393rd MUNSS was activated as Detachment 33 of the 7232nd Munitions Maintenance Group in Murted on July 1 1965 The unit was re designated as Detachment 8 of the USAF 7250th Support Group on February 1 1968 which was finally renamed to 7393rd MUNSS on July 1 1972 Logistical support for the unit came from the US Logistics Group TUSLOG headquartered in Ankara 3 Later on the munition squadron s name was changed to 739th MUNSS 5 The detachment 739th MUNSS was part of the nuclear weapons custodian 39th Wing s Logistics Group stationed at Incirlik AFB On April 25 1996 the nuclear mission at the Akinci AFB was deactivated following the end of the Cold War 1947 1991 5 Today six Weapons Storage and Security System WS3 vaults are operational in stand by status at the air base 6 Akinci Air Base hosted the F 16C D jet fighters of the 141st fighter 142nd bomber and 143rd training squadrons 7 8 9 The air squadron which received the first F 16C D jet fighters was the training squadron Oncel In 1999 the training squadron was re designated as 143rd squadron and became part of the Akinci AFB because other jet fighters at the air base were of the same type which enabled more efficient maintenance and training 9 The air base is currently used by Turkish Aerospace Industries TAI 10 Coup d etat attempt EditA coup d etat attempt took place in Turkey on July 15 2016 which was staged by factions of the armed forces Turkish Chief of the General Staff Hulusi Akar was taken hostage at the headquarters by the pro coup soldiers and transported by helicopter to the Akinci AFB where he was detained As the coup attempt collapsed he was freed the next morning by special forces 4 11 It is alleged that the Akinci AFB was the command center of the pro coup military 4 At 22 00 hours local time on July 15 2016 Akin Ozturk a four star General in the Turkish Air Force and a member of the Supreme Military Council who served as the 30th Commander of the Turkish Air Force between 2013 and 2015 reportedly started the coup d etat in Ankara by ordering of F 16 jet fighters of the 141st squadron to take off The operation was led by Air Pilot Staff Lieutenant colonel Hakan Karakus who is the son in law of Akin Ozturk The personnel of the 141st squadron had been sent home in the afternoon with the remark that their duty terminated earlier on that day 12 Six F 16 jet fighters involved in the coup were transferred from the 8th Air Wing at Diyarbakir Air Base the day before because of their improved precision night attack capability at low flight and targeting pods 13 Two tanker aircraft of type KC 135R flown by the 101st Squadron at Incirlik AFB were employed for aerial refueling so the jet fighters could operate hours nonstop over Ankara The jet fighters of Akinci AFB were supported by Sikorsky S 70 and Bell AH 1 Cobra helicopters from the Ankara Guvercinlik Army Air Base While they were flying low at subsonic speeds and directing air strikes towards governmental targets and civilians 14 anti coup jet fighters from other air bases in Turkey took off and chased the pro coup aircraft President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his constitutional capacity as the Commander in chief of the Turkish Armed Forces ordered the shootdown of the pro coup F 16s still in the air 12 Anti coup F 16 jet fighters of the 9th Air Wing from the Bandirma Air Base chased the pro coup F 16s in the air 15 and the F 4E 2020 Terminator jet bombers of the 1st Air Wing s 111th squadron from the Eskisehir Air Base bombed the runway thresholds of the air base to prevent the aircraft operating from Akinci AFB from landing or taking off 14 The pro coup aircraft were thus forced to land at other air bases 16 President Erdogan credited the media and the people of Turkey in standing up against the coup plotters and said that the final straw that broke the back of the attempted coup was when the Turkish government dropped 12 bombs on the Akinci Air Base 17 Relocation and redevelopment EditPrime Minister Binali Yildirim said while addressing a crowd in the Kazan district of Ankara which houses the base That Akinci Air Base which nested traitors will be closed and it will be turned into a place where the memories of our martyrs will be kept alive 18 On August 12 2016 Minister of National Defense Fikri Isik stated that there was popular support for relocating the air base and redeveloping the area into a democracy park 19 On September 6 2016 the Turkish Air Force renamed the air base Murted which was the name it went by until 1995 Murted means apostate and it was given to the site in reference to the desertion of some troops of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I reigned 1389 1403 in the Battle of Ankara 1402 against the Timurid Empire 11 The base s status was downgraded so that it is commanded by a group captain instead of an air commodore before 20 With a governmental decree issued under the state of emergency the three air squadrons were deactivated and the air base jet fighters were transferred to be embedded at the 5th Air Wing Merzifon AFB 1st Air Wing Eskisehir AFB and 3rd Training Wing Konya AFB 20 The final destination of the TAI facilities hosted by the air base remains unclear 20 Name and status change EditThe facility was initially named Murted after the location in Ankara at its establishment as an airbase In 1993 the air base was renamed Akinci in honor of Staff Group captain Erol Akinci who died during a flight mission in 1968 The facility s status as an airbase was downgraded in September 2016 to an airfield following the 15 July 2016 coup d etat attempt because it played a major role as the headquarters of the plot and subsequently relocation of the 4th Air Wing 21 Other airports in Ankara EditEsenboga International Airport Etimesgut Air Base Guvercinlik Army Air BaseReferences Edit Airport information for LTAE World Aero Data Archived from the original on March 5 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Data current as of October 2006 Source DAFIF Murted ne demek Murted Hava Ussu nerede Haberturk in Turkish July 12 2019 Retrieved July 12 2019 a b Leiser Gary January 1986 HQ TUSLOG A Brief History USAF in Europe Retrieved September 24 2016 a b c 194 killed in quashed Gulenist coup attempt Military Hurriyet Daily News July 15 2016 Retrieved July 16 2016 a b United States Air Forces in Europe Munitions Support Squadron MUNSS Global Security Retrieved September 24 2016 Locations of U S Nuclear Weapons by Type PDF NRDC p 79 Archived from the original on September 16 2012 Retrieved July 16 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link F 16 Aircraft Database Current active F 16 airframes assigned to TuAF 141 Filo F 6 Net Archived from the original on February 2 2014 Retrieved July 16 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link F 16 Aircraft Database Current active F 16 airframes assigned to TuAF 142 Filo F 6 Net Archived from the original on February 2 2014 Retrieved July 16 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link a b 143 Filo TUAF F 6 Net Archived from the original on September 13 2015 Retrieved July 16 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Demiroren Haber Ajansi Son Dakika Haberleri ve Guncel Haberler a b Turkey s Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar rescued from pro coup soldiers Daily Sabah July 16 2016 Retrieved July 16 2016 a b Akin Ozturk un ilk fotografi Hurriyet in Turkish July 17 2016 Retrieved July 17 2016 Tanker ucak vururuz denilerek indirildi Hurriyet in Turkish July 20 2016 Retrieved July 22 2016 a b F 16 lar kalkmasin diye Ankara Akinci Ussu nun pistlerinin bombalandigi iddia edildi Hurriyet in Turkish July 16 2016 Retrieved July 22 2016 Ozbek Tolga July 16 2016 Iste darbe girisiminin perde arkasi Hurriyet in Turkish Retrieved July 22 2016 Ankara daki Akinci Ussu boyle vuruldu Hurriyet in Turkish July 22 2016 Retrieved July 22 2016 Erdogan says he does not believe coup attempt is over vows to take further steps Hurriyet Daily News August 6 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 Turkish government to move main military bases out of Ankara Istanbul Hurriyet Daily News July 29 2016 Retrieved July 29 2016 Akinci Air Base to become democracy park Hurriyet Daily News August 12 2016 Retrieved August 13 2016 a b c Turkish Air Force changes name of main base in Ankara used in coup attempt Hurriyet Daily News September 6 2016 Retrieved September 6 2016 Ankara Haberleri Akinci yeniden Murted oldu Hurriyet in Turkish September 6 2016 Retrieved July 12 2019 External links Edit Media related to Akinci Air Base at Wikimedia Commons Current weather for LTAE at NOAA NWS Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Murted Airfield Command amp oldid 1133814943, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
