Türkiye to carry out major military drill in territorial waters
ANKARA
Türkiye is set to conduct the Blue Homeland maritime exercise next week after a three-year hiatus, spanning the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas with unprecedented participation.
Commencing on Jan. 7 and projected to last approximately 10 days, the exercise will mobilize 20,000 military personnel, according to defense sources.
A total of 87 ships, seven submarines, seven unmanned maritime vehicles, 31 aircraft, 17 helicopters and 28 UAVs will demonstrate “the nation's formidable defense capabilities in these strategic waters,” the sources said.
Blue Homeland refers to a doctrine outlining Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves, in alignment with United Nations resolutions.
The defense sources also revealed that the simultaneous construction of 31 vessels continues successfully at Turkish shipyards.
In this context, the first welding of the national submarine MİLDEN was carried out at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard in the country’s northwest, while the first steel-cutting of the TF-2000 Air Defense Warfare Destroyer took place at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, marking the commencement of their construction.
As Türkiye’s large-scale maneuvers capture attention in the Greek media, a prominent newspaper, To Vima, reported that the Greek Armed Forces are on high alert and will monitor the Turkish maneuvers closely. However, Greek army do not express concern, the daily said.
Türkiye boasts a rapidly flourishing defense industry, especially in terms of unmanned aerial vehicles it owns and exported.
