General Halis BURHAN, former Commander of the Turkish Air Force, and Turkey's Air Refueling Capability

What is Air Refueling Capability?

Since 1994, the Turkish Air Force Command has gained the aerial refueling capability of the world's leading air forces. Thanks to this capability, during operational missions such as air defense, border security and counter-terrorism, many aircraft, especially F-16 and F-4 fighter jets and Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft, which have the characteristics required for aerial refueling, can be aerially refueled with KC-135R type tanker aircraft.

In this way, the duration, operational radius and range of our combat and combat support aircraft are increased, and the effectiveness of the Turkish Air Force Command in operational missions is increased in general. The KC-135R type tanker aircraft, which can take off with a weight of approximately 100 tons, can provide the fuel needed by a total of 20 F-16 aircraft at five-minute intervals.

Air General Halis BURHAN, who served as the 20th Commander of the Turkish Air Force between August 20, 1992 and August 30, 1995, is the Commander who brought the aerial refueling capability to Turkey. Halis Pasha's foresight and 'subtle' strategy to acquire this capability enabled Turkey to acquire this capability almost without any difficulty. Thus, the Turkish Air Force became a very effective and competent Air Force in its region. Even today, especially in comparisons of air power between Greece and Turkey, one of the most prominent capabilities is the aerial refueling capability.

General Halis BURHAN, Who Introduced Air Refueling to Turkey

"I believed that the operational effectiveness of our Air Force would increase exponentially if we gained this capability, because if we gained this capability, the activities that cost us energy and time such as aircraft, ammunition, equipment, personnel transfers, etc. during various training, exercises, advanced readiness situations and real crisis periods would be minimized. Moreover, due to the overcrowding that would occur at some airfields during times of crisis, it would be inevitable that sensitive targets would be created against the enemy.

However, for this project to be realized, our Chief of General Staff had to believe in it. In this respect, in a planning exercise during my command of the 1st Air Force (in Eskişehir), we organized a scenario that demonstrated the level of effectiveness of our Air Force in the event that it gained aerial refueling capability, and presented it to the Chief of General Staff and the Force Commanders. The then Chief of the General Staff, General Necip TORUMTAY, stated in the final critique of the planning exercise that it was seen that the acquisition of this capability would be really beneficial. This statement was also included in the Chief of General Staff's end-of-exercise critique as an instruction. From then on, this critique became my number one reference for all aerial refueling project activities.

Now I will jump back in time a little bit to the First Gulf War. The head of JUSMMAT (Joint US Military Mission for Aid to Turkey, "Joint US Military Mission for Aid to Turkey"), which was based in Ankara and whose mission was to provide training assistance to the Turkish Armed Forces on behalf of the United States, had a request from Turkey at that time. Before the start of this operation, the then JUSMMAT Chairman, Maj. FARMEN visited Air Lieutenant General İlhan KILIÇ (who later served as the Commander of the 22nd Air Force with the rank of General between 1997 and 1999), who was then the Chief of Planning and Principles of the General Staff. 

He asked Lieutenant General KILIÇ for permission to refuel his airplanes and helicopters in Turkish airspace during the Iraq Operation. When KILIÇ Pasha brought the matter to me, I told him the following: "They will find a way to get this permission from us (somehow). Let us make a request while granting this permission, and in return, let us ask them to provide aerial refueling training to our pilots (serving on F-4 Phantom and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft). 

With this in mind, we formalized our request and they immediately accepted it. From then on, our F-4 and F-16 pilots would go to Incirlik in columns of two and four, where they would receive refueling training from US tanker planes under the supervision of US instructor pilots. Of course, training was a matter of a long time. However, the Gulf War ended in 35 days. JUSMMAT President Maj. FARMEN came to us and told us that they could no longer continue the aerial refueling training and that their own instructions (regulations) did not allow it. Our training was interrupted before it started, but we were not going to give up. Operation Hammer Force was still going on. US airplanes were still flying over the 36° north latitude of Iraq. For this purpose, they were again refueling in Turkish airspace.

I instructed Lieutenant General KILIÇ to send a message to the Incirlik Airfield Command and JUSMMAT saying, "The aerial refueling permission given to US aircraft has been terminated!" No one knew about the message except the two of us and the Incirlik Airfield Commander. We did not ask anyone for permission. 

Before half an hour had passed, Maj. FARMEN rushed to me and asked for permission to come to me. I was already expecting this. He told me that he was in an extremely difficult situation because his permission to refuel in the air had been canceled. I said to him: "Look, we also have instructions and this is what is required by these instructions." Upon this, he immediately stated that he retracted his first statement and that they would continue to provide aerial refueling training (to Turkish pilots). Upon this statement, we cancelled our previous message, which had already terminated the aerial refueling permission given to US aircraft, which no one other than JUSMMAT and our Incirlik Base Commander was aware of. While this training continued, we also accelerated our tanker aircraft project. One day, while I was sitting in my office (Commander at the Air Force Headquarters), I received a phone call from the US embassy. The members of the Defense Committee of the US Parliament were there and they wanted to hear from me personally why we needed these planes.

As it is known, such projects cannot be realized without the permission of the US Congress due to their internal functioning. I immediately went to the embassy and said: "In this geography of the world, the US needs these tanker planes more than we do. In every crisis situation or NATO exercises, you transfer your tankers here at great expense. When we have this opportunity, we can provide you with this service as your ally. You will also save this expense. In addition, during the long winter months, when meteorological conditions are not favorable, we intend to use these planes to control our airspace in the east." As a result, Congress passed a resolution to this effect, paving the way for this strategic capability. 

We all know what this capability has brought us and what strategic depths our Air Force has reached. I would like to express my great happiness for completing such an important project in my short tenure as commander. I would like to thank my colleagues with whom I realized this project, including Maj. FARMEN, who later became the President of JUSMMAT, Air Maj. NUBER, who became the President of JUSMMAT after Major FARMEN, in my office after the acceptance ceremony of the tanker planes. During this visit, he said: "General BURHAN, what is your number one project now?" My answer was, "Airborne command and control aircraft!" Maj. NUBER said to me: "I thought you would say that." Maj. NUBER passed away in 1999. May he rest in peace. He helped us a lot in the tanker plane project."

Who is General Halis Burhan, Commander of the 20th Air Force?

General Halis Burhan was born in 1933 in Sürmene, Trabzon, and graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1955 with the rank of ensign. In 1955, after completing his pilot training in Canada, he was assigned to Merzifon 4th Main Jet Base 143rd Squadron as a fighter pilot in 1957 and to 1st Main Jet Base Command as an interceptor pilot in 1960.

In 1967, he graduated from the Air War Academy, which he entered in 1965, and was appointed as a staff trainee officer at the Air Force Headquarters. In 1968, General BURHAN was assigned to the 9th Main Jet Base Hv.Hrk.Hrk.Eğt.Sb.li, in 1969 to the 192nd Squadron Command, and in 1970, he served as the Logistics Branch Material Section Chief at the Naples AIRSOUTH headquarters.

In 1975, he was appointed as the 1st Main Jet Base Operations Commander, in 1977 as the Secretary General of the TurAF, and in 1978, he was promoted to brigadier general and served as the 1st Main Jet Base Commander and as the Vice Chief of Personnel Department of the TurAF.

In 1982, he was promoted to major general and served as the Chief of Personnel Department of the TurAF, in 1984 as the Deputy Commander of the 2nd Tactical TurAF, in 1986 he was promoted to lieutenant general and was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the TurAF, and in 1988 as the Commander of the 1st Tactical TurAF.

In 1990, he was promoted to the rank of General (4-star) and appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Turkish Air Force, and on August 20, 1992 he was appointed as the Commander of the Turkish Air Force. He retired on August 30, 1995. Lieutenant General Halis Burhan was awarded the Turkish Armed Forces Distinguished Service Medal.