Turkish Navy To Lead CTF-151

TCG Gemlik in Çanakkale during 18 March victory celebrations.

Ten days ago, frigate TCG Gemlik left her home port Aksaz Naval Base for a deployment in the Gulf of Aden.

She will escort merchant ships and protect civilian ships from possible pirate attacks. She will act as the flagship of the multinational task force CTF-151 between 27 August and 21 December 2015. During that time a Turkish admiral will be at the helm of the task force CTF-151.

This is the forth time Turkish will command CTF-151. Previously Turkish Navy led the CTF-151:

• May – August 2009 by Read Admrial Caner Bener
• September – November 2010 by Rear Admiral Sinan Ertuğrul
• September – December 2012 by Rear Admiral Oğuz Karaman

TCG Gemlik is not a stranger to the region. This will be her forth deployment to the Gulf of Aden. In her previous deployments she spend a total of 370 days hunting pirates and escorting merchant vessels.

This is the list of 18 previous deployments of Turkish warships to Gulf of Aden to take part in anti piracy operations. The list does not include warship which conducted anti piracy operations when they were in the region but they deployment was not confined to this region.

I wish TCG Gemlik and her crew, calm winds and following seas and good hunting.