Action line 81003 - Vehicle processing

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

My concern is that my vehicle arrived at Incirlik Sept. 26 and won't be able to get it until Oct. 6

I called the Delta office so I could stop over and make sure my beyanname paperwork is started. The clerk was not available and I could not locate him.

I stopped over to his office first thing the next morning, Sept. 29, to do my paperwork and make sure everything is being processed to receive my car. No one was there and no sign was posted stating no one would be to work that day. I called their other phone number and the Delta office stated that it is a holiday week and that no one will show up this week to work and to call back Oct. 6. Tuesday, someone put up a sign saying they are closed all week. As far as I am aware, they are not a government office and are private business so I assume that they should be open.

I talked to the TMO office also and no one can help since it is a Turkish holiday.

I find it unacceptable that it takes up to 20 days already to process your vehicle after it arrives, (4 to 5 days for beyanname and 10 to 15 days for plates, license, etc.)

Now if you add the normal 20 days it takes, and also add the 11 days from the holiday they are closed, I am waiting 31 days to get my vehicle after it has arrived to Incirlik and I think that timeline is unacceptable.

With as much money as the government pays this company to ship vehicles over here, I think they need to have someone available to process your paperwork so we do not have to pay extra and unnecessary costs if our vehicle is here waiting ½ mile away from Incirlik at the Delta office.

1. My suggestion to fix this problem is for the wing to form an AFSO 21 tiger team to see how they can shorten the time it takes to get your vehicle.

2. Possibly give out temporary tags to drive only on base with valid auto insurance until you can get the permanent tag and then you also get off base driving privileges with the car. They can give you a temporary drivers license, and temporary pass to get off base, maybe they can give you a temporary driving pass for your car.

3. Have someone available during holidays to process your paperwork so you are not waiting an extra 11 days in addition to the 20 already.

Response: 

I understand your frustration; let me give you some details of what your car goes through to get here. And, be forewarned: none of this is easy or quick! 

The POV delivery process begins when a ship docks at the port of Izmir. Delta coordinates with Turkish Customs to complete the initial paperwork clearing a vehicle into the port. Paperwork processing and unloading typically takes two days. Once the paperwork is completed, Delta transports the vehicles to its Incirlik facility, which takes approximately 3 days. The Required Delivery Date (RDD) clock ends when the vehicle arrives at this facility and Delta attempts to notify the member. Even though the RDD clock stops, the owner cannot pick up his or her vehicle until it clears customs and it is registered. 

After the vehicle arrives at Delta's Incirlik facility, it takes Turkish Customs another five days to finalize their paperwork. Once the customs portion is complete, the registration process begins, which takes around 10 to 15 days. Turkish law requires the registration of all vehicles and does not contain any provisions for temporary vehicle plates; therefore, a member must wait until registration is complete before operating his or her vehicle in Turkey. 

Pass and Registration works with the member to compile all necessary registration paperwork for the Turkish Traffic Bureau. The Turkish Traffic Bureau usually receives the paperwork from Pass and Registration within three days; however, they cannot begin to process the registration paperwork until they receive official approval authority from Turkish Customs. This approval authority takes an additional seven to ten days to receive because Turkish Customs only sends out approvals through official mail. After the traffic bureau receives approval from Turkish Customs, they typically process the registration paperwork within 24 hours and send it and the plates back to Pass and Registration for customer pick up. 

The Turkish holiday did lengthen the delivery of your vehicle. Ramadan Bayrami is a major holiday, much like Christmas. As a result, all the agencies that are involved in the vehicle delivery process were closed (Delta, Turkish Customs Pass and Identification, Turkish Traffic Bureau, and the port of Izmir). Even if Delta had remained open, you would not have received your car any faster. 

I understand your frustration with a 20 to 25 day process and I appreciate your suggestion, but we're dealing with Turkish Government regulations and bureaucracy: Our influence is very minimal. We make every attempt to streamline this cumbersome process, but without much luck. We simply have to work within the established Turkish system.