Turkish Parliament Extended The Anti-Piracy Mission Of Turkish Navy

 Today, Turkish Parliament accepted a submitted motion to extend the presence of Turkish Navy in Gulf Of Aden for one year.

In 2009, Turkish Parliament gave the government the power to send units from Turkish Navy to Gulf Of Aden and adjacent waters, in order to participate the multinational efforts of anti-piracy.

The as duration of this permission is limited to one year each year it has to be extended.The current mandate will en on 10th February 2014.

Turkish warship are  tasked with:

• Performing reconnaissance and patrol duties,
• Calling on ships suspected of piracy/ armed robbery, on the radio, boarding them if their flag country approves and interfering in accordance with the international law if the ship is not showing any flag,
• Escorting and protecting merchant ships,
• Helping merchant ships under attack of pirates/sea robbers,
• Intervening, stopping, neutralizing, and confiscating any vessels used by pirates/sea robbers, and using appropriate force if necessary,
• Arresting and detaining pirates/sea robbers and armed persons in these vessels,
• Accepting the representatives of the countries that will prosecute pirates/ armed robbers on board, for the preparations of judicial proceedings, according to the UN resolution 1851.
• Arresting and detaining, pirates/armed robbers on board until they are being handed over to the countries that will prosecute them,
• Turning in, the suspects of pirates/sea robbers with the exception of the case that these are Turkish citizens, to the authorities the nation where the pirates/sea robbers will be prosecuted,
• Executing all kinds of policing duties including interrogation, collecting evidence.