Turkish Naval Task Group In Oman

15 Jun 2011

According to Times of Oman, Turkish Naval Task Force will dock at the Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat on 19 June 2011.

TNTF will conduct joint exercises with their Omani counterparts.  During the visit which will last till 22 June,  TCG Gelibolu will host a press day.

The warships coming here are TCG Yarbay Kudret Güngör, TCG Barbaros, TCG Gelibolu, and TCG Gemlik, a communiqué issued yesterday by the Turkish embassy in the Sultanate said. 

The TMTG exercise will become an annual affair hereafter, and the grand objective is to support the ongoing United Nations (UN) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) operations worldwide, and ensuring maritime security. 

Given the threats to global security, especially maritime security, Turkey’s drive assumes greater significance. 

The move also aims at showcasing Turkish Navy’s capability to deploy frigates for prolonged periods, while promoting security at the seas and contributing to world peace. 

This year, TMTG will be supporting the ongoing counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, Somali basin, and other areas, while contributing its bit to Nato and other multi-national efforts. In a bid to boost the anti-piracy efforts, TMTG will be providing naval escorts to Turkish and non-Turkish flagged vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden. 

The larger objective is to facilitate international efforts at providing protection to merchant vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden. TMTG, whose operational control is exercised by Turkish Navy Command HQ, consists of a logistic supply ship, aside from the four frigates, and is commanded by a rear admiral. 

H/T: Dave Shirlaw.

Filed under Turkish Navy Tagged with , , , ,

Turkish Naval Task Force Repulsed A Pirate Attack

8 Jun 2011

TCG Barbaros in vicinity of M/V Emperor. Official Turkish Navy Photo

The Turkish Naval Task Force is currently in the Red Sea.  One of the main task given to this fleet was to patrol the pirate infested waters and provide escort for merchant convoys inside the IRTC.

On 6 June 2011, when pirates attacked the Liberia flagged  M/V Emperor on her way to Bab El Mandeb Strait, Turkish Navy intervened.

F-244 TCG Barbaros was the closest warship to the merchantman when the attack occurred. Upon receiving the distress call from M/V Emperor, TCG Barbaros dashed to the scene.  The pirates ceased their attack and retreated.

The other two frigates of the Task Force, TCG Gemlik and TCG Gelibolu have started to escort convoys inside the IRTC.

TCG Barbaros is a German designed and built MEKO 200 TN  class frigate. TCG Gemlik and TCG Gelibolu are US Made Perry class frigates.

Filed under Turkish Navy Tagged with , , ,

Turkish Navy Task Force Departed For Indian Ocean

1 Jun 2011 3 Comments

On 30 May the Turkish Naval Task Force left Aksaz Naval Base in Marmaris for a 70 day deployment in the Indian Ocean.
The task force is composed of F-244 TCG Barbaros as flagship, F-492 TCG Gemlik, F-493 TCG Gelibolu and A-595 TCG Yarbay Kudret Güngör. Another Turkish frigate F-491 TCG Giresun is already in the region as part of NATO’s SNMG-2 Task Group but she will not take part in the national task force.

During their deployment the task force will provide security for 8 convoys in the IRTC and patrol some troubled waters. Furthermore the task force will visit 8 cities in 8 countries. The task force will conduct low-key naval exercises such as PASSEX with their host navies.

The commander of the task force is Rear Admiral Sinan Ertuğrul. He is not a stranger to the region. He was at the helm of the CTF-151 for 3 months in 2010. This will be his second task force command in the same region.

In 2010 Turkish Navy announced that it has created a temporary task force with the aim of promoting peace and international security through maritime security, creating situational awareness, showing the flag and maintaining maritime presence in areas of interest, executing exercises and training with countries in the region, performing port visit to improve bilateral relations. Last years task force sailed through the Mediterranean.

You can read my posts on the previous Turkish Navy Task Force here.

The schedule for this years seems to be a busy one:

Date
Action
Location
Participants
30/05/11 Departure Aksaz All
06/06/11 Convoy Protection (Eastward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates
08/06/11 Convoy Protection (Westward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates
08/06/11 Patrol (7 Days) Golf of Aden 1 Frigate 1 Tanker
10/06/11 Convoy Protection (Eastward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates
12/06/11 Convoy Protection (Westward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates
14/06/11 Convoy Protection (Eastward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates
19/06/11 Port visit Muscat All
22/06/11 Replenishment Abu Dhabi 1 Frigate 1 Tanker
23/06/11 Port visit Doha All
01/07/11 Port visit Karachi All
07/07/11 Port visit Mumbai All
15/07/11 Convoy Protection (Westward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates 1 Tanker
17/07/11 Convoy Protection (Eastward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates 1 Tanker
19/07/11 Convoy Protection (Westward) Golf of Aden 2 Frigates 1 Tanker
21/07/11 Patrol (4 Days) Al Hudeyde 1 Frigate
21/07/11 Patrol (5 Days) Aqaba 1 Frigate
26/07/11 Port visit Al Hudeyde 1 Frigate
26/07/11 Port visit Jeddah 1 Frigate 1 Tanker
29/07/11 Port visit Aqaba 1 Frigate
02/08/11 Operation Active Endevour Mediterrean All
08/08/11 Arrival Aksaz All

Filed under Turkish Navy Tagged with , , , , ,

>Turkish Contribution To NATO Operations Off Libya Takes Shape

24 Mar 2011 1 Comment

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F-243 TCG Yıldırım. Here in Çanakkale on 18 March 2011, soon
off the coast of Libya.

Turkish contribution to NATO enforced maritime embargo to Libya takes shape.

Yesterday, on 23 March it was announced that Turkey would send 4 frigates, one replenishment tanker and one submarine to the NATO task force off the coast of Libya. According to news reports this intention was officially declared to NATO in writing.

Today Turkish Parliament will discus about sending warships to Libya and will vote on the subject. I expect that the motion will be accepted by majority.

The following ships are selected for the NATO Task Force:

Pennant
Ship
Type
Location/Status
A-580 TCG Akar Tanker In Transit to Libya
F-243 TCG Yıldırım Frigate In Transit to Libya
F-… TCG …x Frigate In Transit to Libya
F-491 TCG Giresun Frigate Off Libya
F-492 TCG Gemlik Frigate Off Libya
S-350 TCG Yıldıray submarine Not Avaliable
Bosphorus Naval News

It turns out that creating a Turkish Naval Task Force and sending it on a cruise in Mediterranean during last summer, was a very good  exercise. I am sure the lessons learned from that cruise will be used for the planing of the current operations.

Hat Tipp: A very good friend of mine: Arda Mevlutoğlu.

Filed under Mediterranean, NATO Tagged with , , ,

>Turkish Navy Task Force Conducted Exercise With Eisenhower Strike Group

8 Jul 2010

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Did not know, that on her way from Suez Canal, the Eisenhower Strike Group met with the Turkish Naval Task Force. Turkish task force was in Alexandria, Egypt last weekend conducting a port visit. Thus both groups had found some time to realize a Passex on their way to Turkey.

There a good photos at the homepage of Turkish Navy. Click here.

Filed under Mediterranean Tagged with , , , ,

>Turkish Naval Task Force Returns Home

4 Jul 2010

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On 5th July 2010, the four frigates and one replenishment tanker composing the Turkish Naval Task Force will return to their home port Aksaz.

They have been away since 5th May. This is the first time that Turkish Navy organized a Task Force and made it cruise the Mediterranean.

The task force did more than just sailing up and down the Mediterranean and exercising with other navies. 10 ports have been visited. In some cases the task force was divided to increase the number of the cities visited.

On the photo left the people of Cartagena, Spain are receiving the full swing of Turkish Navy Band.

This cruise increased the awareness of the people around the Mediterranean about Turkish Navy. There are dozens of articles in newspapers about the Task Force and its visits. Man

The purpose of this cruise is very much consistent with the objectives of Turkish Foreign Ministry, to influence the perception of people about Turkish and Turkish Armed Forces, living in the visited countries.

The visited countries and the omitted once are very indicative and consistent. Spain and Italy were visited but the one country in between, whose president won his election on anti Turkish policies was omitted. Algeria, Tunis and Egypt were visited but Libya and Israel were not. (Mind that the cruise and its preparations were started well before the Mavi Marmara incident)

There some of course who might consider such activates of Turkish Navy as a threat. Turkey is becoming a sea faring nation with every passing year and is starting to exercise its naval force for non combat operations. And showing the flag and increasing the awareness of others about us is one of the best missions a navy can do.

In addition to the citizens of Cartagena, Turkish naval band swing at the people of Bar, Durres and Tunis too.

Filed under Mediterranean Tagged with , , ,

>Update On Turkish Naval Task Force

7 Jun 2010

>While, Japanese, Bangladeshi and American warships are visiting ports in Turkey, Turkish Naval Task Force was busy visiting foreign ports.

First visit was in Algiers, Algeria.

Next visit was in La Goulette, Tunisia.

The third visit was in Cartagena, Spain.

For more photos and up to date information here is the link to the Task Force’s Webpage.

Filed under Mediterranean Tagged with , ,

>Turkish Naval Task Group In Cartagena, Spain.

31 May 2010 2 Comments

>Turkish Naval Task Group arrived to the port of Cartagena in Spain on Monday 31 May 2010.

1125 military personnel on board of TCG Kemalreis, TCG Turgutreis, TCG Gaziantep, TCG Giresun frigates and on TCG Akar logistics support ship, has seen great interest in the port of Cartagena according to news.

There was a press conference on board of TCG Gaziantep. Most of the questions asked by the Spanish media were regarding to the Israeli actions this morning. Commander of The Fleet Admiral Mücahit Şişlioğlu told that Turkish Navy was watching the developments of the day very closely and carefully.

After the press conference a guided tour of TCG Gaziantep was given to the participants and the CIC with the GENESIS upgrade was shown. Spain with 8 Perry class deviate frigates in service is a possible candidate for GENESIS customer.

Filed under Mediterranean Tagged with , ,

>Turkish And German Naval Task Forces Conduct Exercises

26 May 2010

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Turkish Naval Task Force met with the German Training Cruise Flotilla south of Crete. The two task forces conducted a series of short exercises:  SURFEX, PASSEX and a PHOTEX.

The German task force consists of FGS Bradenburg, FGS Niedersachen and FGS Frankfurt am Main. The task force is expected to peform a harpor visit in Istanbul.

This is the link from the Turkish Navy.
and this is the link from the German Navy.

Filed under Mediterranean Tagged with , , ,

>Turkish Naval Task Force Sailed Away From Marmaris

10 May 2010

>The Task Force that Turkish Navy organized has sailed away from its homeport of Aksaz, Marmaris.

Four frigates and a replenishment tanker will sail for the next 60 days in international waters of Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. According to the schedule released by Turkish Navy, the task force will spend 40 days in sea. 20 days will be spend by visiting harbors in Tunisia, Algeria, Spain, Italy, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Albania and Egypt.

There is a video from CNN Turk, a Turkish affiliate of CNN.

Gist: Kemalreis, Turgutreis, Gaziantep, Giresun, four elite frigates of Turkish Navy will spend the next 60 days will show the Turkish flag in the international waters. The aim of the Turkish Task Force is to establish and maintain security and peace in international waters. Together with replenishmen ship Akar, the five ship strong task force has left its homeport today.

The frigates that will operate in Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea were equipped with modern weapons.

The frigate Kemalreis has the latest weapons. The track radar behind me tracks the target while the gun that can fire 3000 round per minute destroy the target.

Turkish warships will be managed by GENESIS (Gemi Entegre Savas Idare Sistemi), developed by Turkish Naval Research Center Command.

One of the specialties of our ship is that she has been equipment with indigenously command and control system. Everything you see in this CIC has been designed, produced and installed in Turkey. We have been testing this system for the last 1,5 – 2 years in various occasion. It provides us many improvement over the old legacy system.

The Turkish warships will visit many foreign harbors before the task force returns on 5th July.

Filed under Uncategorized Tagged with ,

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