Türkiye’s defense minister on Friday dismissed allegations that the private jet of U.S. financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein used Incirlik Air Base, saying there is no evidence the aircraft landed, took off or transited through the strategic military facility.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler made the statement in response to a written parliamentary question from opposition Good Party (IP) lawmaker Selcan Taşcı, who asked whether Incirlik, a Turkish Air Forces Command base that hosts NATO operations, had been used in connection with Epstein’s jet and whether any safeguards were in place to prevent human trafficking and the illegal transport of children at military bases.
In his reply, Güler stressed that all Turkish military air bases are classified as first-degree restricted zones under national law, accessible only to authorized personnel and vehicles with special permits subject to biometric checks and identity verification.
“The facility is a Turkish Air Force installation owned by the Republic of Türkiye,” Güler said in a written response. “All materials entering or leaving Incirlik Air Base from abroad are handled by the Incirlik Customs Directorate under the Trade Ministry, and individuals entering or exiting from abroad are processed by the Passport Police under the Interior Ministry in accordance with relevant legislation. There is no report, complaint or official notification regarding the allegations.”
Epstein, an American financier who was jailed and died in U.S. custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors, owned and operated a fleet of private jets during his lifetime. Some of those aircraft were reportedly used to fly associates, clients and young women between his properties in the U.S. and the Caribbean, including his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and his Zorro Ranch in New Mexico.
Taşcı’s question also asked whether the Defense Ministry had put in place special monitoring or risk-prevention mechanisms to guard against exploitation related to human trafficking at military facilities. Güler’s statement reiterated that strict access controls and security procedures govern all Turkish military air bases but did not provide additional details on any dedicated anti-trafficking measures.
