Geçitkale_Airport
Geçitkale Air Base
Airport
Geçitkale Air Base or Lefkoniko Airport[3] (IATA: GEC, ICAO: LCGK) is a military airfield of the Turkish Air Force near Lefkoniko (Turkish: Geçitkale) in Northern Cyprus. Construction was completed around 1990. During the renovation of the Ercan International Airport between September 2002 and May 2004, it served as Northern Cyprus' primary civilian airport.[4] Geçitkale's unofficial ICAO code is LCGK.[5]
In the summer of 1998, amid rising tensions between Greece and Turkey, Turkey briefly stationed six F-16s at Geçitkale, in response to the former's positioning of four F-16s and two Lockheed C-130 Hercules at Paphos.[6] Combat aircraft last visited the airport in November 2000.[7] Geçitkale Airbase was bought by Turkish Cypriot Businessman Asil Nadir and will be transformed into a new airport for VIP and Charter Aircraft.[citation needed]