Sailor thanks Turkish navy for help in Aden Gulf

ANKARA

The General Staff has shared with the public an e-mail sent by a Turkish citizen who was rescued by a Turkish frigate, the TCG Gökova, in the Gulf of Aden.

The General Staff posted the e-mail, which it received on Dec. 23, to its official Website Jan. 28. In his e-mail, electrical engineer Kadir Üstünel, who had been working on commercial transportation ships sailing in international waters, explained how he was rescued by the TCG Gökova after he fell ill onboard the ship on which he was working.

“When all my hopes faded, the Gökova ship of our Naval Forces Command came to my rescue,” Üstünel wrote, expressing gratitude to the commander of the Gökova, who sailed into waters known for pirate activity. “The commander of the Gökova, which was around 80 miles away, didn’t care about the weather and [came to my aid with] a boat,” he said.

After receiving medical aid onboard the Gökova, Üstünel was rapidly transported to a hospital in Salalah, Oman. “Following the surgery and intensive care within the same day, at the moment, thanks to you, I’m with my wife, child, mother and father,” he