Mehmet Birbiri – the first foreign national ever named to the Hall of Fame – has occupied a distinctly unique role in the Air Force Public Affairs family.

As the Host Nation Advisor in the Public Affairs office of the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik AB, Turkey, no one has done more to enhance the image of the United States Air Force and promote international understanding and friendship than Mehmet. He has deftly served as a bridge across often challenging political and cultural divides, always working to find common ground.

Whether briefing commanders on Turkish political issues, translating during sensitive negotiations with Turkish political and military authorities, or teaching newcomers about Turkish customs and traditions, Mehmet has provided countless airmen the guidance and understanding needed to overcome the problems they faced living and working in a foreign country, enabling them to more effectively accomplish their mission.

And to say that he’s done that for a long time is certainly an understatement. Mehmet has been the Incirlik Host Nation Advisor since 1985, and an Air Force employee for 49 years. Even harder to believe, but as of his selection for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, he’s still working! During Mehmet’s tenure at Incirlik, 42 (that’s not a typo) different 39th Air Base Wing commanders have benefited from his trusted advice and counsel.

One of those commanders was Major General (ret) John Barry, the wing commander at Incirlik from 1994-1996, who said that Mehmet’s “legacy is not measured in the numerous awards and accolades he has received, but in the cultural bridges he has built and the enduring spirit he has fostered at Incirlik. Mehmet’s wisdom, kindness, and unwavering support have been a source of strength and guidance to us all. His ability to navigate the complexities of both cultures with tact and grace has been invaluable during critical moments in our base’s history.”

Former SAF/PA and USAFE/PA director Jerry Renne agreed, saying that Mehmet’s “innate understanding of Turkish culture, language and media relations positioned him to foster communications and broker mutual understanding and agreement. He led the way during multiple US Air Force earthquake relief operations, post 9-11 military operations and numerous basing and mission changes, always in the key role of fostering mutual understanding and promoting cooperation between Turkish and US forces and people.”

Mehmet’s outstanding contributions to the Air Force mission have earned him multiple awards at all levels. At Air Force level, he was the Air Force’s Outstanding Public Affairs Host Nation Employee of the Year three times, and he’s been recognized not just as a Host Nation Advisor but as the Air Force’s Outstanding Public Affairs Intermediate Grade Civilian of the Year. At MAJCOM level, he was USAFE’s Outstanding Public Affairs Host Nation Employee of the Year three times and USAFE’s Outstanding Public Affairs Civilian six times. At wing level, he’s received over fifty annual and quarterly awards for outstanding performance.

And it’s not just the Air Force recognizing what Mehmet has meant to Turkish-American relations. The University of Maryland presented him with the Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence Award – which the university recognizes as its highest teaching accomplishment – for the work he did teaching Turkish language and culture at the base education center.

For all these accomplishments though, Mehmet is perhaps best known for his weekly “Ask Mehmet” base newspaper column, which exemplifies his strong commitment to helping airmen and their families understand and navigate the culture and customs of a foreign land. There are far too many "Ask Mehmet" columns to count, but here are just a few examples:

Ask Mehmet: Victory Day

Ask Mehmet: Transportation in Turkey

Ask Mehmet: Mehmet, do Turks celebrate Christmas?

On a trip to Turkey with the Secretary of Defense in 2022, the former Pentagon Press Secretary, Major General (ret) Pat Ryder, met with Mehmet and said later: “Simply put, Mehmet Birbiri is an Air Force Public Affairs institution and one-of-a-kind. Generations of Air Force Public Affairs Airmen have had the great fortune to work with and learn from Mehmet during assignments and deployments to Incirlik.”

He should know. One of the many PAs mentored over the years by Mehmet was a young lieutenant stationed at Incirlik in the 1990s by the name of Pat Ryder. After his 2022 visit, now General Ryder confirmed that “After nearly five decades at Incirlik, Mehmet is still providing the same stellar Public Affairs support with his trademark smile, enthusiasm, and genuine warmth. For half a century he’s been a role model, mentor and friend to countless U.S. Airmen and their families, and a true-blue Air Force Public Affairs professional par excellence!”

For more about Mehmet's one-of-a-kind career, you can read his official biography here, and one of the many interesting stories written about him here.