Rich history, importance define Turkish Air Force

  • Published
  • By Gary Leiser
  • TUSLOG historian
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The Turkish Air Force has a long histroy of action - action that has defined a nation's perseverance, courage and continuity. Turkey's geographic location has put it in the crossroads of many past conflicts that have defined its Air Force's might.

The first Turkish encounter with hostile military aircraft was in 1911 when Italy invaded Libya, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. During the war with Libya, the Italians used aircraft for reconnaissance and bomb attacks on Turkish military units. The Turkish Army, therefore, had the distinction of being the first ever to be aerially bombed . However, they also had the honor of being the first to force down a war plane and capture a pilot.

Shortly before the war with Libya, the Turkish Minister of War, Mahmut Sevket Pasa, instructed Lt. Col. Sureyya Bey, a Turkish officer, to establish an aircraft station and aircraft commission in Istanbul. This began the history of the Turkish Air Force. This was the same year England established an air force and two years after Germany. France and Italy had already done so. Volunteer Army officers were sought for pilot training and the first two were sent to France. Because of this, many aviation terms in Turkish derived from French.

The first airfield was established in the village of Yesilkoy in Istanbul. Today, it is Ataturk International Airport. Two hangars were built, and the two officers who had gone to France returned with two Deperdussin aircraft, one military and the other a trainer. There was close cooperation with France. The French aircraft company REP sold and gave additional planes to the Turks, who in turn, sent more officers to that company for training. Officers were also sent to the Bristol Aircraft School in England. British and German aircraft were also purchased. In April 1912, the two Deperdussin aircraft made fly-bys in Istanbul as part of the ceremony commemorating the anniversary of Sultan Resat's accession to the throne.

The young Turkish Air Force almost immediately saw action in the Balkan War of September 1912 to October 1913. Although too small to be effective, the Air Force, with some 17 planes, provided valuable reconnaissance services. One Turkish pilot, Fethi Bey, became legendary for his many exploits. It was during this war that the first balloon company was established at Yesilkoy. Additional aircraft were bought from France. These included seaplanes for which a school was opened at Yesilkoy.

The first US aircraft sold to Turkey was a Curtiss seaplane which was brought to Istanbul by an American pilot in 1914. After the war, as a demonstration of Ottoman power and prestige, Fethi Bey and another Turkish pilot, Nuri Bey, set out in February 1914 in two French planes, on a flight from Istanbul to Cairo. The flight included a number of hops around the Mediterranean. In addition, these planes carried Turkey's first air mail. Unfortunately, Fethi Bey crashed near the Sea of Galilee and was killed. Nuri Bey was later killed when he crashed into the sea near Jaffa. Afterward, a third plane piloted by Kemal Bey and Salim Bey was sent to finish the trip. It reached Cairo in May 1914.

A few months later, World War I began. At that time, Turkey only had four or five operational aircraft and six pilots. But with the help of its German and Austrian allies, Turkey's Air Force rapidly expanded. Some 450 aircraft served in the Turkish Army during the war, many piloted by Germans. By the end of the war, the Turkish Air force had about 100 pilots, and 17 land-based and three seaplanes companies of four planes each. At this time, Turkish air operations consisted primarily of reconnaissance, bombing, interception, air defense and ground support mission. Turkish aircraft were active along the Straits, above all during the Gallipoli campaign, the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, and on the Caucasian, Palestinian and Iraqi fronts. They even served in Arabia against Lawrence and others. Just about all planes were German, including Albatros, Fokker and Gotha models. Among the notable actions by Turkish and German pilots in the Turkish Air Force were sinking of several British ships, and possibly a submarine, in the Aegean Sea and the shoot-down of numerous British, French and Russian aircraft.

Following Turkey's defeat in the war, most of its Army, including its Air Force, was disarmed. Various parts of the Ottoman Empire became independent or were occupied by western powers. When an attempt was made to occupy different regions of Anatolia, especially by an invading Greek army, Mustafa Kemal, later known as Ataturk, rallied his countrymen, drove out the invaders and founded the modern republic of Turkey.

In 1919, at the beginning of this national struggle, the Turks had no aircraft. The Turkish Air Force was reestablished March 1920 when pilots and other personnel met in Konya and Eskisehir and began to assemble their own planes from smuggled parts. The first national air force was founded with two planes in Adana and the first national aircraft maintenance facility was established in the Eskisehir railroad maintenance shop. The number of aircraft soon rose to 16. The new air force conducted reconnaissance missions and limited strikes on enemy targets and air units in support of the army. The aircraft used were Albatros, Breguet, Fiat, De Havilland and spad models.

When the War of Independence ended in 1922, the Air Force consisted of a group composed of three companies; Izmir, Afyon and Bandirma. There was also a naval air company in Izmir. Under the directives of Ataturk, considerable effort was given to strengthening the Air Force. French instructors were invited to teach in Izmir and orders were placed in various countries for modern aircraft. In 1928 an Air Ministry was established with three battalions. These were raised to regiment level in 1932, and brigade level in 1939. There were three main bases: Eskisehir, Diyarbakir and Izmir. Ataturk's encouragement of aviation was perhaps most symbolically confirmed when one of his adopted daughters became a pilot.

In the years before World War II, an aircraft factory was built at Kayseri with a license to build Curtiss Hawk planes. But the Turks also acquired German Heinkel bombers, British Blenheim bombers, American Martin and Vultee bombers, Polish PZL fighters, and French Morane fighters.

During the war, Turkey was frequently under pressure to join one side or the other. Until the last days of the conflict, she remained neutral. Consequently, Turkey was able to obtain additional planes from both sides such as German Focke-Wulf 190s, British Hurricanes and American Tomahawks. The Turkish Air Force even acquired a few American B-24 bombers which were interned in Turkey when they made forced landings after the Ploesti raid of 1943. As the fighting raged, Turkey built more air bases and support facilities. Because of all the expansion, the three battalions were raised to division level in 1943, and in the following year, the Air Force was separated from the Army and became an independent service.

After the war, Turkey bought Spitfires, Mosquitos and Beau fighters from the British. America soon replaced Britain as the major source of modern aircraft. In 1946, after President Truman's declaration of the "Truman Doctrine," the Joint American Mission for Aid to Turkey was established in Ankara. It was a tri-service organization which administered the shipment of American equipment to Turkey and helped train Turkish personnel. The U.S. Air Force contingent originally consisted of the 1172nd Foreign Mission Squadron.

In 1948, Turkey received P-47, B-26 and C-47 aircraft from the U.S. With this came American training, supply and maintenance systems. In 1951, an air force academy was opened in Istanbul and Turkey entered the jet age with the receipt of F-84s. The next year, Turkey joined NATO.

The first female jet pilot in NATO was a Turk; Sabiha Gokcen, one of Ataturk's adopted daughters.

Since joining NATO the Turkish Air Force has also flown the following American aircraft: T-33, F-86, F-100, F-102, F-104, F-4, F-5, F-16, C-130, and KC-135R.

Since becoming a member of NATO, the Turkish Air Force has undergone a number of changes. Presently, it is composed of the First Tactical Air Force headquartered in Eskisehir, the Second Tactical Air Force headquartered in Diyarbakir, the Air Training Command headquartered in Izmir and the Air Logistics Command headquartered in Ankara.

June 1st is celebrated as Turkish Air Force Day. All Turkish Air Force units, including the 10th Tanker Base Command, schedule several activities in commemoration of the day.