Happy Navy Day!
27 Sep 2017
The 27th September, the anniversary of the Battle of Preveza, is celebrated as the Navy Day.
On 27th September 1538, a naval battle for the supremacy in the Mediterranean was fought between the Ottoman Navy commandeered by Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa and the fleet of a Christian alliance assembled by Pope Paul III and commandeered by Andrea Doria.
With the victory at Preveza and the subsequent victory in the Battle of Djerba in 1560, the Ottoman Empire successfully repulsed the efforts of Venice and Spain, the two principal Mediterranean powers, to stop the Turkish drive to control the Mediterranean. This only changed with the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
According to marvelous book Empires of The Sea by the historian Roger Crowley, the importance of the Battle of Preveza lays in its psychological effects as the battle shattered the morale of the Christian Alliance that fought against the Ottoman Empire for the control of the Mediterranean.
I could not think about a better day today to update the order of battle for Turkish Navy:
| Active | Building | Planned | |
| Submarines (Note-1) | 12 | 1 | 5 |
| Frigates (Note-2) | 16 | 1 | 7 |
| Corvettes | 8 | 2 | |
| Fast Attack Craft – Missile (Note-3) | 19 | 4 | |
| Patrol Craft | 16 | ||
| Mine hunters/Mine sweepers (Note-4) | 15 | 6 | |
| LPD (Note-5) | 1 | 1 | |
| LST | 4 | 1 | |
| LCT/LCU/LCM/LCAC (Note-6) | 21 | 8 | |
| Fleet Support Tankers | 2 | 1 | |
| Tankers / Replenishment Ships (Note-7) | 5 | 2 | |
| Training Ships | 10 | ||
| Salvage Ships | 19 | 1 | |
| Helicopters (Note-8) | 33 | 6 | |
| Planes | 8 | 6 |
Here is a detailed version of the above list:
| Active | Building | Planned | |
| 209 Type 1400 submarines | 8 | ||
| 209 Type 1200 submarines | 4 | ||
| 214 Type 1800 submarines | 1 | 5 | |
| MEKO 200 class frigates | 8 | ||
| Gabya (Perry) class frigates | 8 | ||
| TF-2000 class frigates | 4 | ||
| İstanbul class frigates | 1 | 3 | |
| Milgem class corvettes | 2 | 2 | |
| Burak (Type A 69) class corvettes | 6 | ||
| Kılıç class fast attack craft | 9 | ||
| Yıldız class fast attack craft | 2 | ||
| Doğan class fast attack craft | 8 | ||
| Turkish type fast attack craft | 4 | ||
| Tuzla class patrol craft | 16 | ||
| Aydın class minehunters | 6 | ||
| Edincik (Circé) class minehunters | 5 | ||
| Mine hunters/sweepers | 4 | 6 | |
| LPD | 1 | 1 | |
| LST | 5 | 1 | |
| LCT/LCU/LCM/LCAC | 21 | 8 | |
| Support tankers | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Training ships | 10 | ||
| Salvage ships and tugs | 19 | 1 | |
| AB-212 ASW helicopters | 11 | ||
| S-70B ASW helicopters | 24 | ||
| ATR-72 ASW planes | 2 | 6 | |
| CN-235 ASW planes | 6 |
Note 1: The construction of the first Type 214 class submarine TCG Pirireis has started on 10th October 2015.
Note 2: The second batch of 4 Ada class corvettes has been enlarged to the new İstif class frigates.
Note 3: Procurement of 4 (plus 6 optional) fast attack of local design armed with missiles is planned.
Note 4: The procurement of 6 new minesweepers is planned.
Note 5: The construction of the first LPD TCG Anadolu will start in Autumn 2016.
Note 6: 6 LCM and 2 LCAC may be procured with the LPD but the acquisition of these smaller vessels is not definite yet.
Note 7: Two oil tankers are constructed by a private shipyard. Additionally, procurement of one fleet replenishment ship is planned.
Note 8: The AB-212 helicopters are mostly used for utility duties. 6 additional Seahawk have been ordered.
turkishnavy.net 