Ankara  In-depth Overview

Foreign Clearance Guide for Turkey

Climate

Ankara is located in the western portion of the Anatolian plateau at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level. It is situated at the center of a bowl formed by rugged hills. The climate is generally pleasant; extremes of hot and cold are moderated by the dryness of the air and, in summer, by a mild breeze. Ankara has four definite seasons and the weather is very much like Denver or Washington, DC.

Tax Document - Beyanname - Extremely Important. A Beyanname is an official tax document issued by Turkish authorities. Turkish customs officials focus their attention on high dollar value items or products with continual black market demand. Beyanname, a written declaration between the military member and the Government of Turkey, provides customs control of personal effects imported into the country. Items listed on the Beyanname must be taken out of the country upon PCS or the member is subject to heavy fines.

Base Banking Facilities - There is no bank at ODC-T or ASF, Ankara. It is strongly recommended that members establish a checking account before departing their current duty station. Members are advised to bring at least a one year supply of personal checks that may be cashed.

Garanti Bank cashes personal checks from US banks at the ODC every Wednesday, 1130 to 1330. This service is available to DoD service members, employees, dependents, and retirees who have regular unescorted access to the ODC premises.

Service members and employees who obtain a kimlik number (Turkish ID which everyone will get soon) can open personal accounts at Turkish banks. It is recommended that you establish a bank account with Garanti Bank at the embassy to set up auto-pay for your utilities.

There is an ATM at ASF that will disburse USD and Euro's as well as Turkish Lira (TL); There is no service charge. You may be able to use most local ATMs to withdraw TL. Credit cards, such as Visa and Master Card are widely accepted around the country; however they may not work at small vendors if their credit card machines are not programmed to accept foreign credit cards. Your US bank will mostly charge a foreign transaction fee for these transactions.

Defense Service Network (DSN) Dialing Instructions

The DSN is the provider of long-distance communications service for the Department of Defense (DoD). Every installation has a special DSN number and the numbers vary by world-wide location. In order to place a call using DSN, the caller must be using a military phone on an installation. Cell phones cannot dial DSN numbers. When dialing a DSN number from a United States installation to another United States installation, it is unnecessary to dial the DSN 314 area code. When dialing a DSN number to/from overseas locations, the DSN area code must be included. The operator can be reached at commercial (719) 567-1110. Please note that long distance charges may be incurred.

If you have not been assigned a sponsor and or have further questions please contact the 717 ABS Commander Support Staff at DSN 314-672-7170

Team DoD-Turkey is comprised of the Office of Defense Cooperation-Turkey (ODC-Turkey), the Defense Attaché Office (DAO) and the 717th Air Base Squadron. Team DoD represents U.S. DoD leadership, informs and advises Mission Turkey and U.S. stakeholders, conducts and supports operations, and builds Turkish military capacity to implement all U.S. defense-related aspects of the Integrated Country Strategy and the Country Campaign Plan.

Vision

A seamless team advancing U.S. national security by fostering a robust, trusting and dependable partnership with Turkey.

Location

ODC Turkey is a tenant at the Turkish Armed Forces Sports School and occupies approximately 50% of the building. Possibly the most attractive aspect of Ankara is the spectacular views afforded by its location in the hilly Anatolian countryside. Ulus, the old city, situated on two steep hills, is dominated by an ancient citadel.  Its narrow, winding streets, mosques and small houses give it a color lacking in newer parts of the city.  Support for ODC Turkey is provided by Incirlik AB. Click here to view the Plan My Move Booklet for Incirlik AB.

History

Ankara was founded by the Hittites, who called the city Ankuwash, twelve centuries before the birth of Christ.  The city subsequently came under the rule of the Phrygians, who called the city Ankyra.  The Phrygians were followed in turn by the Lydians, Persians, Greeks (in 333 BC Aleander the Great passed through Ankara), Galatians (the Gauls), Romans (and their Byzantine inheritors), and the Selçuk Turks. In the early seventh century Ankara was a thriving metropolis, spread over a large area below its acropolis, with all the features of a leading Roman city of that time - theater, gymnasium-bath complex, stadium, monumental buildings and opulent homes. Luxurious country estates dotted its environs. That changed in 622 when Ankara fell, as did much of Asia Minor, to the Persian general Sharbaraz.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Ottoman Turks occupied most of Asia Minor as well as some parts of the Balkans in Europe. Sultan Beyaz¿t I gave up the siege of Constantinople and led a huge army against the enemy. They came face to face in July 1402 on the plain below Ankara, now a small town enclosed by walls atop the ancient acropolis above a field of Roman ruins. The Sultan was defeated and taken prisoner. After eight months in captivity he died. Half a century later, in 1453, Constantinople fell to Mehmet II and for 400 years the Ottoman Empire was a great world power.

Ankara was a small town until Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made it the capital of the Turkish Republic in 1923. He selected Ankara because of its location in the center of the country. A trip through the citadel virtually takes you back into Ottoman times. Many old buildings remain with their upper-story balconies.

Mission

ODC Turkey is a joint command comprised of three directorates (Security Cooperation Directorate; Agreements and Operations Directorate; and Administration and Logistics Directorate) staffed by Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel. Our mission is to assist the Turkish Armed Forces modernize; increase cooperative weapons systems research, development and acquisition; support U.S. Forces and activities in Turkey; and, as possible, assist U.S. industries competing for sales of U.S. equipment. Additionally, we work to facilitate bi-lateral Turkish and American military operations on behalf of the U.S. European Command (EUCOM).

717th AB Squadron's mission is to be the premier support provider to the entire Ankara Mission community with a vision of enabling an environment where partnerships will grow resulting in a strong strategic alliance. The 717 ABS provides logistical support to AAFES, Commissary, and DoDDS. We manage activities of the Ankara Air Station to include AT/FP, Library, APO, and Community Readiness Center (A&FRC), Coordinate customs clearances for import, export, and transfer of all equipment, munitions, and vehicles within Turkey. We also monitor the Turkey/Spain Base Maintenance Contract's (TSBMC) Ankara portion and Airport Ground Handling Services contract and the Unified Communications Support contract in Ankara.

Population

Military community in Ankara includes approximately 100 to 150  joint services personnel. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine personnel work at the ODC, 717 ABS, or Embassy. The city of Ankara has a population of around 5 million.

Base Transportation

Currently, there is no base transportation available on this installation; motorpool is available for official use.

Sponsorship

The sponsorship program is a great way to gather information about your new location. All in-bound personnel will be assigned a sponsor after receiving orders. Advise your sponsor of the date, time and number of your arrival flight. It's very important to have your sponsor meet you at the airport. Your sponsor can be a huge asset by sending you information on Ankara, your duty section, the local community, things to do, and places to go. If you want to exchange dollars for Turkish Lira, after clearing customs you can exchange your money at the airport. Get your dollars exchanged in small denominations as getting change can be a challenge. It is appropriate to tip the taxi driver for helping you with your luggage approximately 5TL.

Send your orders to your sponsor when you are 90 days out so that he/she can set up a mail account for you at your new assignment.

Temporary Quarters:  Upon arriving at the Esenbo¿a Airport ,Ankara, you will disembark and enter the international terminal to process through customs and immigration. Have your ID card and NATO travel orders or diplomatic passport with VISA, along with your family's passports ready. The immigration officer will stamp your NATO travel orders or passport. Do not lose this stamped document, as you will need it when you depart the country. Failure to provide the stamped entry document to immigration when you depart could result in the levying of a substantial fine upon departure.

After immigration, you will enter the baggage claim area. Do not leave this area until all your baggage has been claimed. Turkish porters can help with the bags and the cost of their service is predominantly displayed in English in the baggage area (typically one U.S. dollar expressed in Turkish Lira). After you collect your baggage, you will go through a customs checkpoint. The Turkish National Police stationed at this checkpoint may randomly check your baggage.

Assuming you provided your sponsor with the details of your travel itinerary, he or she will meet you immediately outside the terminal and transport you into the city to your hotel. If your sponsor is not there to greet you, contact the ODC Turkey Staff Duty Officer for assistance (0532-627-1423) or the 717ABS First Sergeant 0531-685-7455 

Relocation Assistance:  Airman and Family Readiness Center maintains a loan closet which items such as linens, blankets, cookware, dishes, glasses etc can be obtained for 60 days while waiting for your HHG.

Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)

FVAP.gov ensures Service members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens have the tools and resources to register to vote and request an absentee ballot, regardless of their state of residence. The Voting Assistance Guide (VAG) is a reference guide for everything you need to know about absentee voting in all 50 States, territories and the District of Columbia.

Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) The Voting Assistance Guide is available at: www.fvap.gov/vao/vag. Select your state to find your local election office’s contact information.

Voting forms are available at: www.fvap.gov/eo/overview/materials/forms.

Critical Information: Foreign Clearance Guide for Turkey

Climate

Ankara is located in the western portion of the Anatolian plateau at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level. It is situated at the center of a bowl formed by rugged hills. The climate is generally pleasant; extremes of hot and cold are moderated by the dryness of the air and, in summer, by a mild breeze. Ankara has four definite seasons and the weather is very much like Denver or Washington, DC.

Tax Document - Beyanname - Extremely Important. A Beyanname is an official tax document issued by Turkish authorities. Turkish customs officials focus their attention on high dollar value items or products with continual black market demand. Beyanname, a written declaration between the military member and the Government of Turkey, provides customs control of personal effects imported into the country. Items listed on the Beyanname must be taken out of the country upon PCS or the member is subject to heavy fines.

Base Banking Facilities - There is no bank at ODC-T or ASF, Ankara. It is strongly recommended that members establish a checking account before departing their current duty station. Members are advised to bring at least a one year supply of personal checks that may be cashed.

Garanti Bank cashes personal checks from US banks at the ODC every Wednesday, 1130 to 1330. This service is available to DoD service members, employees, dependents, and retirees who have regular unescorted access to the ODC premises.

Service members and employees who obtain a kimlik number (Turkish ID which everyone will get soon) can open personal accounts at Turkish banks. It is recommended that you establish a bank account with Garanti Bank at the embassy to set up auto-pay for your utilities.

There is an ATM at ASF that will disburse USD and Euro's as well as Turkish Lira (TL); however will charge a service fee. You may be able to use most local ATMs to withdraw TL. Credit cards, such as Visa and Master Card are widely accepted around the country; however they may not work at small vendors if their credit card machines are not programmed to accept foreign credit cards. Your US bank will mostly charge a foreign transaction fee for these transactions.

Defense Service Network (DSN) Dialing Instructions

The DSN is the provider of long-distance communications service for the Department of Defense (DoD). Every installation has a special DSN number and the numbers vary by world-wide location. In order to place a call using DSN, the caller must be using a military phone on an installation. Cell phones cannot dial DSN numbers. When dialing a DSN number from a United States installation to another United States installation, it is unnecessary to dial the DSN 312 area code. When dialing a DSN number to/from overseas locations, the DSN area code must be included. The operator can be reached at commercial (719) 567-1110. Please note that long distance charges may be incurred.

If you have not been assigned a sponsor and or have further questions please contact the 717 ABS Commander Support Staff at DSN 314-672-7170