Türkiye takes part in NATO drill off Sicilian coast

ANKARA

Türkiye has sent significant elements of its fleet from naval forces, including TCG Anafartalar, to participate in NATO's annual exercise held in Italy with the aim of enhancing collaboration and elevating training standards among allied countries in submarine defense warfare.

The Dynamic Manta 2024 (DYMA 24) exercise commenced on Feb. 26, featuring submarine forces from Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. alongside Türkiye.

The exercise, originating from the Catania Port in Sicily, Italy, saw allied ships and submarines set sail early morning, supported by maritime patrol aircraft.

TCG Anafartalar, a formidable asset of the Turkish navy, renowned for successfully executing numerous national and multinational missions, opened its doors to a group of journalists at the Catania Port prior to the start of DYMA 24.

Commander Navy Lieutenant Colonel Erce Yener and Second-in-Command Navy Major Alper Vural provided insights into the submarine's features and showcased certain sections to members of the press.

Vural shared that the vessel, commissioned in 1999, was constructed at the Gölcük Shipyard in northern Türkiye, with approximately 50 personnel serving on board. Adorned with photographs of modern Türkiye’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the submarine stands as a symbol of national pride, Vural said.

Upon a question on the purpose of TCG Anafartalar's participation in the drill, Yener stated, "Submarines worldwide are generally hunters; they hunt.”

“As a Turkish submarine, we will actively participate in this exercise, and our primary objective is to successfully conclude the exercise and have a plentiful hunt.”

“Our motto is, 'We will preserve this honor in the depths.' This stems from the fact that submarines, as you know, possess the unique ability of three-dimensional movement and high maneuverability underwater due to our national and indigenous equipment,” Yener noted.

During the exercise, Turkish submarines and frigates conducted training for material and personnel transfer with a helicopter. Meanwhile, an Italian submarine conducted emergency surfacing drills, and a German maritime patrol aircraft carried out submarine search and detection exercises.