By Turkish Coordination against the occupation of Iraq
On the 18th June 1955 the military air-base Incirlik was opened by the Turkish state, of course to prove its loyality to US Imperialism. Let us take a short look on the history of that base.
In 1951 the making of the base in Incirlik started and was done in the year 1955 and opened in the month June under the name “Adana air base” and was named Incirlik in 1958. During the Gulf war in 1991 in a form of “Force” it was permitted to have; 1416 US, 183 English, 139 France soldiers 77 air planes and helicopters were stationed in Incirlik. According to statistics, in the year 1995 there were 2091 soldiers, 160 working personal together 2251 and 3328 acres in the Incirlik air base. Until the year 1989 Incirlik was the biggest intelligence gathering center against the Soviet Union. This opened an unending crisis between the TR and the SU during the period of the “cold war.”
The U.S.A used the soldiers who were stationed in Incirlik on the 13th July 1953 to make an operation against Lebanon; it actually occupied Lebanon without even seeing the need to inform Turkey about this. In the same year but this time England used the base to send soldiers to Jordan. Again in the year 1970 with the clash starting with the Jordan government and Palestine guerillas and during the massacres against the Palestine people US transport planes were always flying and landing on the base. It was said during that time that the U.S.A was using the bases against the Palestinian guerillas.
In 1992 during the Gulf war again Iraq was bombed from planes coming from the Incirlik base.The Incirlik base was used actively for US military infiltration information and operations. And still even if they try to hide, it is used for that.
For this reason the “No to the Occupation in Iraq Coordination” today made a protest rally at the Taxim square. Since a long time the bases are on the agenda and we are aware of the fact that all the forces should unite on tha perpective against the bases because it is one of the bigest tools used by imperialism to make occupations, invasions and massacres just as create military rule in certain Countries.
The protest action started at 12:30. About 80 people participatet chanting slogans like “Murder US get out from the Middle-East”, “Imperialist´s-Collaborator´s, don´t Forget the 6.Fleet!”, “Shout down Incirlik base”, “Murder US get out of our Country!”, “Down with US Imperialism-Long live the unity of the People”, there was a banner writing “No to the occupation- Shout down military bases!” was opened.
