Secret safes in the belly of the earth: Does Turkey have atomic bombs? | Weekend Special

Does Turkey possess nuclear weapons? Officially no, but researchers estimate that 20 to 30 American atomic bombs are stored at the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. The article reviews the history of the deployment of American nuclear weapons in Turkey since 1959, the integration of the Turkish Air Force into NATO's nuclear mission, and the question of what will happen if Erdogan decides to break ties with Washington.

Officially, Turkey does not possess its own nuclear weapons, but according to researchers at the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists, 20 to 30 American B61 atomic bombs are currently located at the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. The story begins in 1959, at the height of the Cold War, when the United States began deploying nuclear weapons in Turkey against the Soviet Union. Declassified secret American documents prove that bombs were already stationed there, and later also nuclear missiles and shells. In the early 1960s, the Americans began training Turkish crews to participate in NATO's nuclear mission. In 2010, the US Air Force reported to Congress that Turkish F-16 aircraft are used for the nuclear mission. Turkey was supposed to transition to F-35A aircraft, capable of carrying the B61-12 nuclear bomb, but in 2019 the United States removed it from the F-35 program after it purchased S-400 air defense batteries from Russia. The Pentagon neither confirms nor denies the weapon locations, but researchers point to underground vaults specially built for storing nuclear weapons, security upgrades detected in satellite images, and visits by senior officials from the body responsible for strategic deterrence in 2023. The article raises the question of what will happen if Erdogan decides to break ties with Washington, and recalls a similar scenario from 1975 in which the US Secretary of Defense and the President discussed concerns that Turkish forces would reach the weapon storage area. It also mentions the 2016 coup attempt, when electricity to Incirlik was cut off and the Turkish base commander was arrested. The article notes that even if the Turks physically reach the bomb, the B61 is an American weapon with security mechanisms to prevent unauthorized activation. Finally, the question is asked whether Trump, who seeks to return Turkey to the F-35 program, will agree in the future to expand the nuclear role of the Turkish Air Force.