Turkey increases navy force in Mediterranean

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet photo

Turkey is reinforcing its position in the Mediterranean Sea following the escalation in tension along its border with Syria.

A number of warships and submarines have been sent to bases in the Mediterranean from the northwestern province of Gölcük where the main base of the Naval Forces is located. The ships were fully loaded with arms labeled "war load."

Tension has escalated between the two countries after a Syrian shell bomb hit the Akçakale region in the southeastern Turkish province of Şanlıurfa. Turkey reciprocated by bombing Syrian army targets, and on Oct. 4 the Turkish Parliament passed a motion for a one-year mandate authorizing the military use of ground troops for cross-border operations into "foreign countries."