Cigli

Base for 15 Jupiter IRBM's, 1962-1963.

On 28 October 1959 an agreement was signed with Turkey for the basing of one squadron of Jupiter IRBM's on Turkish soil. The base at Cigli became operational in April 1962 with USAF technicians. These were to be progressively replaced by Turkish staff, with the 'US finger' remaining on the 'nuclear button'. However as part of the secret agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev ending the Cuban missile crisis it was agreed that the Jupiter missiles would be removed from Europe. The last missile was withdrawn in April 1963, after only a year of service.

The Jupiter squadron was staffed by 500 officers and men and was organized as five flights of three missiles each. The flights were dispersed, located many kilometers from each other, and each missile launcher within each flight was separated by several hundred meters.