Incirlik AB hosts annual DECA Inspection

Photo By Staff Sgt. Peter Reft | Turkish air force Air Brig. Gen. Ömer Nafiz Gülmezğolu, head of the Turkish General Staff foreign affairs department, speaks to U.S. Air Force 39th Air Base Wing leaders, Turkish General Staff, and Turkish government delegation members during a Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement (DECA) inspection, Jan. 22, 2024, at Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye. Cooperation and communication remain key factors in maintaining and strengthening the U.S.-Turkish partnership. Under DECA guidance, U.S. and Turkish members can better understand each other’s roles and responsibilities, enabling integration of forces when specific tasks involve both parties. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Reft)  

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, TURKEY

01.24.2024

Story by Capt. Kaitlin Cashin 

39th Air Base Wing

The Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement, DECA, team conducted the annual inspection of Incirlik Air Base Jan. 22-24, marking a continuation of the monitoring process for the U.S.-Turkish partnership.
DECA is a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and government of Türkiye first established in the 1980s to consolidate a collection of bilateral agreements between the two nations.
This iteration of the inspection was overseen by Turkish Air Brig. Gen. Ömer Nafiz Gülmezğolu, head of the Turkish General Staff foreign affairs department.
“Historically speaking, the military-to-military relationship has been the core at the bilateral agreements between U.S. and Türkiye,” Gülmezğolu said during his opening remarks. “It is my opinion that the U.S. is the most important international partner to Türkiye today.”
The DECA inspection occurs annually at Incirlik AB and this inspection marks the 43rd year of DECA’s history at Incirlik AB.
Over the course of the inspection, representatives from the Turkish General Staff, 10th Tanker Base, 39th Air Base Wing, and Office of Defense Cooperation-Türkiye toured a variety of Incirlik’s operations and facilities to assess the status of the base partnership.
“Our military organizations closely coordinate in accordance with the DECA and out of mutual respect to ensure day-to-day operations are a success,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Schoeneberg, 39th ABW deputy commander. “Overall, we are happy to report that the relationship between the 10th Tanker Base and the 39th Air Base Wing is stronger with each passing day.”
The team assessed a variety of joint initiatives to include the installation runway expansion project, the weapons training course, the air traffic control tower, Patriot Village, and the 39 ABW contingency lodging areas.
“Our partnership with Türkiye started more than 70 years ago with the establishment of the Joint Use Agreement, and we remain diligent in continuing our work to uphold the DECA in order to fulfill the NATO mission,” said Schoenberg. “I would like to thank our partners at ODC-T, our hosts at the 10th Tanker Base and the Turkish Ministry of Defense for their routine cooperation and support.”
For more information about the DECA at Incirlik AB, visit: https://www.incirlik.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3605164/defense-and-economic-cooperation-agreement-guides-us-turkish-partnership-at-inc/
Related news:
https://www.incirlik.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2028175/deca-team-inspects-incirlik/

• Date Taken: 01.24.2024
• Date Posted: 01.29.2024 07:22
• Story ID: 462614
• Location: INCIRLIK AIR BASE, TR