Turkey hosts Invitex-Eastern Mediterranean military exercise

ANKARA

The exercise will include participation from NATO, Turkey and United States. DAILY NEWS photo

The Invitex-Eastern Mediterranean military exercise for 2013 is due to take place in Turkey from Nov. 4 to 14.

NATO, the U.S. Navy and the Turkish Navy-Air Force-Coast Guard platforms will participate in the exercise, a statement from Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said Nov. 4.

The exercise aims to give participant units the opportunity to engage in various types of naval operations in a scenario envisioning the handling of a regional crisis, in order to enhance co-operation and mutual training between participant countries, the statement said.

According to the TSK, the participant units are: NATO SNMG-2 (three frigates), U.S. Navy (one frigate), Turkish Navy (three frigates, two corvettes, four fast attack boats, three submarines, two oilers, two patrol boats, one landing ship, one tug boat, one maritime patrol aircraft, five helicopters, one amphibious team, one Naval WMD Destroy Team, Multi National Maritime Security Center of Excellence), Turkish Coast Guard (three Coast Guard Boats) and Turkish Air Force aircrafts.

The statement also said that a bilateral military exercise with the participation of special forces between Turkey and Jordan would end on Nov. 9.

Turkish Armed Forces recently finished a military exercise with Balkan countries that took place between Oct. 20 and 26, said the statement.