Action Line #100427 - Parking in the Alley

  • Published
  • By 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

I have noticed recently that more and more cars with US plates have been parking in "The Alley". In the latest ATFP Directive that I have seen, the directive specifically says the following and is actually highlighted in yellow within the document:

9b. At the request of the host nation, vehicles may not park on the main thoroughfare of Ataturk Boulevard from the Jandarma (police) station entrance road to D-400 roadway. This is the street commonly referred to as "The Alley." This prohibition includes rental vehicles and US-owned POVs.

If this requirement is outdated and not necessary then maybe it should be removed from the directive. Otherwise, rules are made for a reason and we all must follow them as close as possible. It makes me wonder if people are not following this clear and simple directive, then what else are they choosing to ignore.

Response:

Thank you for your concern regarding this matter. This requirement is not outdated; parking vehicles in the Alley is prohibited for U.S. personnel. Unfortunately, enforcement of this policy is spotty at best. Our security forces squadron does not have jurisdiction to enforce parking in the Alley, and the Turkish National Police/Jandarma are too heavily tasked to locate vehicle owners and have them move their vehicles. The "Eye's On" program does assist with identifying U.S. vehicles parked in the alley, but it only operates during limited hours on weekends.

But just because the requirement is not always enforced doesn't mean we, as U.S. service members, should disregard this measure. The parking restriction is designed for our protection by reducing our risk to criminal or potential terrorist acts. In these cases we rely on the integrity of our personnel to follow the directives put out by the wing. As always, I strongly encourage everyone's participation in the antiterrorism program to maintain awareness, practice personal protective measures, and report suspicious activity.