There was no Turkish Airlines flight from Ankara to Samsun, but instead we flew in 
an L19 (a single-engine, high-wing, four-seat aircraft) from Ankara direct to Sinop. 
The aircraft was used for mail and classified courier delivery, and 
transporting personnel back and forth, with "deuce-and-a-halfs" (GMC 2 1/2 ton
trucks) as backup. These trucks were on the road almost constantly, hauling 
supplies, rations, Class VI supplies, etc., from Ankara to Sinop.

That's why the soldier's comment in The Hallmark, "..when the roads become a 
quagmire, and we don't get mail for a week.", was surprising. There were two roads
used between Sinop and Ankara. One left Sinop, went to Bafra, approximately 
halfway between Sinop and Samsun, and from there over the mountains to
Ankara. Because of those mountains, and some small streams that had to be 
forded, that road was only used in Summer. In Winter, the road went to Samsun,
where you stayed overnight, and from there to Ankara. While primitive by Western 
standards, it was at least passable year round. 

Also, because everyone including the aircraft pilot was acutely aware of just what 
mail meant to those on The Hill, it was flown up three to four times a week. If the
weather was particularly bad and the aircraft couldn't land, the pilot came in
low-and-slow over the base and threw the mail-bag out of the window. He
knew in advance when this would happen and he deliberately left all packages
for ground transportation.

Getting back to my introduction to The Hill, there were four of us scheduled to go
from Ankara and one other guy and I flew up on the L19. Either we flew because
of rank (we were both SSGT [E5]) and the others went by truck, or flew up later, 
I just don't remember. (Although it was a four-seat aircraft, the fourth seat was
taken with our duffel bags and packages for The Hill.) 

At any rate, immediately after we were airborne and on course to Sinop, the
pilot un-capped a thermos of coffee and passed us donuts and coffee. He 
mostly steered the aircraft with his knees and thighs while regaling me (I was
seated up front with him) with his flying stories. He said that on one 
occasion he had encountered particularly heavy fog on the way and had 
overflown the base. When he finally turned back, it took him about an hour to
get back to Sinop. All that time he was flying out over the Black Sea in that 
light aircraft!

The landing strip (so-called) was a pasture outside the town of Sinop. When 
we circled and came in on our approach, a herd of horses galloped across in 
front of us. The pilot pulled up sharply, circled again and landed without incident. 
My breakfast, the coffee and donuts, and my heart were all competing for room
in my throat, but I, too, managed to land without incident.