Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station

Cengiz Topel Airport Cengiz Topel Havalimanı
IATA: KCO[1] ICAO: LTBQ
Summary
Airport type	military and public
Owner	Turkish Navy
Operator	DHMI
Serves	Kocaeli
Location	Kartepe, Kocaeli Province
Built	1976
In use	Active
Elevation AMSL	182 ft / 55 m
Coordinates	40°44′06.10″N 030°05′00.01″E / 40.7350278°N 30.0833361°E / 40.7350278; 30.0833361
Map
KCO Location of airport in Turkey Show map of Turkey KCO KCO (NATO) Show map of NATO KCO KCO (North Atlantic) Show map of North Atlantic
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 09/27 9,842 3,000 Asphalt
Source: World Aero Data[2]

Turkish Naval Forces

Components
Structure Installations Rank insignia
History
History of the Naval Forces
Special Forces
Underwater Offence (SAT) Underwater Defence (SAS) Underwater Search and Rescue (KvSK) Amphibious Marine Brigade
Equipment
Active ships Equipment & Aircraft Decommissioned fleet
v t e

Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station (Turkish: Cengiz Topel Deniz Hava Üssü), a.k.a. Topel Airport or formerly Cengiz Topel Air Base, (IATA: KCO, ICAO: LTBQ) is a Turkish Navy air station located east of İzmit in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. The airport is in joint use for military and civil.^[2] Restructured in 1976, it hosts the Turkish Naval Aviation Command with two flying units, the 301st Squadron of fixed-wing aircraft and the 351st Squadron of rotorcrafts.^[3]

The facility, formerly a base of the Turkish Air Force, is named after the Air Force fighter pilot Capt. Cengiz Topel, whose F-100 Super Sabre was shot down on August 8, 1964 during Turkey's military intervention in Cyprus. He ejected safely over land, but was promptly captured after landing and lynched by members of the Cyprus National Guard. He was the first Turkish pilot ever killed in action.^[4]