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Turkish Naval Forces

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This article is about the Naval Forces of the Republic of Turkey established in 1923. For the Turkish Navy in the Ottoman period, see Ottoman Navy.

Turkish Naval Forces
Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri
Türk Donanması
Seal of the Turkish Navy
Founded
  • 10 July 1920 (as the Directorate of Naval Affairs)[1]
  • 1 July 1949 (as the Turkish Naval Forces Command)[2]
Country Turkey
TypeNavy
RoleNaval warfare
Size45,000 active personnel[3]
55,000 reserve personnel[3]
Part ofTurkish Armed Forces
HeadquartersAnkara
Motto(s)"Always Ready"
Colors
  •   Blue
  •   Gold
  •   White
MarchTurkish Navy March Playⓘ
Anniversaries27 September[1]
EquipmentList of equipment of the Turkish Naval Forces
List of active ships of the Turkish Naval Forces
Websitewww.dzkk.tsk.tr/en-US
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefPresident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Minister of National DefenceYaşar Güler
Chief of the General StaffGeneral Metin Gürak
CommanderAdmiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu
Chief of Staff of Turkish Naval ForcesVice Admiral İbrahim Özdem Koçer
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Naval Aviation Roundel
Masthead Pennant
Turkish Naval Forces
Components
History
Special Forces
Equipment
Turkish Armed Forces
Leadership
Branches
History
Special Forces
Member of
Current foreign deployments and missions

The Turkish Naval Forces (Turkish: Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Navy (Turkish: Türk Donanması), is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.

The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was established as the Directorate of Naval Affairs during the Turkish War of Independence led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Since July 1949, the service has been officially known as the Turkish Naval Forces.

In 2008, the Turkish Navy had a reported active personnel strength of 48,600; this figure included an Amphibious Marines Brigade as well as several Special Forces and Commando detachments.[4] As of early 2021, the navy operates a wide variety of ships and 60 maritime aircraft.

History

Main article: Ottoman Navy

Ottoman fleet after Mudros

Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on 3 November 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, rear admiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be struck on all warships lying in the Golden Horn, and the Ottoman Navy ceased to exist.[5] The major surface combatants of the former Ottoman fleet (totalling 62,000 tons) were rendered inactive by the Allies and in accordance with the terms of the Armistice of Mudros, the warships were disarmed during the last week of 1918. The battleship Turgut Reis and the cruisers Hamidiye and Mecidiye were substantially limited and kept inactive inside the Golden Horn by the occupying forces.[6] Due to its larger size, the battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim was transferred to the Gulf of İzmit on the grounds that she could adversely affect the sea traffic inside the Golden Horn;[6] while her ammunition and guns were removed.[6] During this period, only a small number of Ottoman Navy vessels were allowed by the Allies to remain on active coast guard duties and were released from internment on 26 February 1919;[5] such as the torpedo boats Akhisar and Dıraç which patrolled the Sea of Marmara, the gunboat Hızır Reis which patrolled the Gulf of İzmir, and the minelayers Nusret and Tir-i Müjgan which conducted mine cleaning operations in the Gulf of Saros.[6]

Before the Turkish War of Independence began, the Bahriye Nazırlığı (Naval Ministry) sent the gunboat Preveze to Sinop and the gunboat Aydın Reis to Trabzon in February 1919 for surveillance, reconnaissance and patrol duties.[6] However, a lack of coal to fuel their propulsion systems caused the Preveze and Aydın Reis to remain in harbour until the end of 1919.[6] During the early stages of the Turkish War of Independence, these two gunboats did not return to Istanbul, despite heavy pressure from the Ottoman government and the Allies.[6] Instead, they were placed under the command of the Turkish liberation forces led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and headquartered in Ankara.[6]

Turkish War of Independence

Directorate of Naval Affairs

A large number of the naval officers and students of the Naval Academy went to Anatolia for participating in the Turkish War of Independence. On 10 July 1920, the Directorate of Naval Affairs (Umur-u Bahriye Müdürlüğü) was founded in Ankara under the Ministry of National Defense and was given the duty of organizing and maintaining strategic logistical shipping through the Black Sea in order to provide the Turkish liberation forces in Anatolia with weapons and other supplies.[6] All existing naval institutions in the parts of Anatolia that were administered by the Ankara government were assigned to this Directorate.[6] The Directorate of Naval Affairs was extremely successful in organizing local surface units and volunteers and in forming an intelligence network to discover the movements of the enemy ships.[6] As a result, logistic transportation was carried out effectively.[6] The Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara made an agreement with the Soviet Union to procure supplies for the Turkish liberation forces.[6] Aydın Reis left from Samsun (on 16 September 1920) and Preveze left from Trabzon (on 30 September 1920) for Novorossiysk in order to transport weapons, other supplies and financial aid to the Turkish liberation forces.[5][6] The Trabzon Shipping Detachment, which was founded on 21 September 1920, was renamed as the Trabzon Naval Shipping Command with the directive issued by the Ministry of National Defense on 26 October 1920.[6] On 1 January 1921, the Samsun Naval Command was formed.[7] In the subsequent stages of the Turkish War of Independence, due to the growing need for maritime shipping and the increase in the quantity and quality of the units and small ships, the organizational structure of the Directorate of Naval Affairs was gradually extended.[6]

In the same period, a number of Turkish civilian seamen formed a group under the name of the Naval Aid Organization (Muavenet-i Bahriye).[7] This group secretly obtained cannons, light weapons, ammunition, landmines and ordnance from the former Ottoman military warehouses in Istanbul that were under the control of the occupying Allies and sent them to the Turkish liberation forces in Anatolia with civil water transportation crafts.[7]

Presidency of the Naval Department

On 1 March 1921, the Directorate of Naval Affairs was transformed into the Presidency of the Naval Department (Bahriye Dairesi Reisliği) and had control over the Naval Commands in Samsun, Amasra and İzmit (formed on 28 June 1921); the Naval Transport Detachment in Trabzon; the Naval Transport Command in Ereğli; the Naval Detachment in Lake Eğirdir; and the Naval Liaison Group in Fethiye (formed on 16 March 1921.)[6] During the War of Independence, Turkish naval forces transported 220,000 tons of weapons, ammunition and equipment to the land forces in Anatolia.[7]

Ministry of the Navy

Following the Armistice of Mudanya on 11 October 1922, the former Ottoman Ministry of the Navy (Bahriye Nazırlığı) building in the Kasımpaşa quarter of Istanbul, on the Golden Horn, became the headquarters of the Istanbul Naval Command on 14 November 1922.[6] The establishment of the Ministry of the Navy (Bahriye Vekâleti) of the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara, was decided by the Grand National Assembly on 29 December 1924, and Topçu İhsan Bey (İhsan Eryavuz) was appointed the first (and only) Naval Minister of Turkey.[8][9] When the Republic of Turkey was established on 29 October 1923, the former Ottoman vessels that remained under Turkish control were as follows:[10]

In active service: 2 cruisers (Hamidiye, Peyk-i Şevket), 2 yachts (Ertuğrul, Söğütlü), 1 destroyer (Taşoz), 4 gunboats (Burak Reis, Hızır Reis, Kemal Reis, İsa Reis), 1 minelayer (Nusret), 1 aviso (Galata), 4 tugs and 7 motorboats. Out of service (needing repair): 2 battleships (Yavuz Sultan Selim, Turgut Reis), 2 cruisers (Berk-i Satvet, Mecidiye), 4 destroyers (Muâvenet-i Millîye, Nümune-i Hamiyet, Basra, Samsun), 6 torpedo boats (Sultanhisar, Yunus, Akhisar, Dıraç, Musul, Berk Efşan), 1 gunboat (Sakız).

Preparations were made to carry out the maintenance and overhaul of small-tonnage warships (the three Taşoz-class destroyers and the gunboats Burak Reis, Sakız, İsa Reis and Kemal Reis) and to make them combat-ready.[6] Thus, the cruiser Hamidiye, which was planned to be employed as a Cadet Training Ship, was overhauled.[6]

During the 1920s, a commitment to refurbish the battlecruiser TCG Yavuz (which remained in active service until 1950) as the centerpiece of the republic's fleet was the only constant element of the various naval policies which were put forward.[11] The battlecruiser remained in İzmit until 1926, in a neglected state:[12][13][14] only two of her boilers worked, she could not steer or steam, and she still had two unrepaired scars from the mine damage in 1918. Enough money was raised to allow the purchase of a new 26,000-metric-ton (26,000-long-ton) floating dock from the German company Flender,[6] as Yavuz could not be towed anywhere without risk of her sinking in rough seas.[15] The French company Atelier et Chantiers de St. Nazaire-Penhöet was contracted in December 1926 to oversee the subsequent refit, which was carried out by the Gölcük Naval Shipyard.[13] Since the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 required the disarmament of the Turkish Straits, the infrastructures belonging to the Turkish Naval Forces on the Bosphorus (in Istinye) and on the Golden Horn were transferred to Gölcük.[6] In this period, Gölcük was designated as the main Turkish naval base.[6]

The overhaul works of TCG Yavuz proceeded over three years (1927–1930); they were delayed when several compartments of the dock collapsed while being pumped out. Yavuz was slightly damaged before she could be refloated and the dock had to be repaired before the overhaul works could be resumed. The Minister of the Navy, İhsan Eryavuz, was convicted of embezzlement in the resulting investigation which became known as the Yavuz-Havuz case (havuz meaning "dock" in Turkish naval engineering terminology.)[15] The investigation revealed that Ihsan Eryavuz had reduced the insurance obligation of the French company (Atelier et Chantiers de St. Nazaire-Penhöet) from 5 million to 1.5 million Turkish liras, and was convicted guilty of fraud,[16] which resulted in the abolition of the Ministry of the Navy on 27 December 1927.[7][17]

Undersecretariat of the Sea

Following the dissolution of the Ministry of the Navy, the naval forces were reorganized under the Ministry of National Defense[9] and on 16 January 1928[17] the Undersecretariat of the Sea (Deniz Müsteşarlığı) was established in order to undertake the duties of the former Ministry of the Navy.[7] With this new reorganization, the Turkish Fleet Command was put under the command of the Turkish General Staff in terms of administration and logistics.[6] On 2 November 1930, the Naval War College (Deniz Harp Akademisi) commenced training and education of Staff Officers at its facilities in the Yıldız Palace.[6] During World War II, the naval schools were temporarily relocated from Istanbul to Mersin for security reasons and conducted education and training activities in this city.[6]

In 1933, with the approval of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Gölcük was designated as the main base of the Turkish Navy.[6] In the same year, the first new ship built at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard, the tanker TCG Gölcük, was laid down; and launched the following year.[6] With the signing of the Montreux Convention in 1936, Turkey's sovereignty over the Turkish Straits was internationally recognized, and Fortified Area Commands were founded on the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, with Naval Detachments assigned to these Commands.[6]

The Turkish Naval Forces were represented under the title of the Naval Undersecreteriat at the Turkish General Staff Headquarters in Ankara from 1928 to 1949.[6] The historic decree of the Higher Military Council on 15 August 1949 led to the foundation of the Turkish Naval Forces Command (Deniz Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı.)[6] After Turkey joined NATO on 18 February 1952, the Turkish Naval Forces were integrated into the organizational branches of the alliance.[6]

Structure

TCG Anadolu and USS Gerald R. Ford during a Turkish-American naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea on August 21, 2023. The Turkish Navy started the construction of the first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard on January 2, 2025.[18][19]

In 1961, the Turkish Naval Forces Command was organized into four main subordinate commands: The Turkish Fleet Command, the Turkish Northern Sea Area Command, the Turkish Southern Sea Area Command and the Turkish Naval Training Command.[6] In 1995, the Turkish Naval Training Command was renamed as the Turkish Naval Training and Education Command.[6]

Current Structure

Marines and Special Forces

TCG Anadolu and USS Wasp during a Turkish-American naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea which included the Marines and amphibious forces of the two NATO allies, on August 14, 2024.

The Turkish Navy maintains marine, explosive ordnance disposal and special operations units such as:

Equipment

Further information: List of active ships of the Turkish Naval Forces, List of equipment of the Turkish Naval Forces, Lists of ships of the Turkish Navy, and List of miscellaneous ships of the Turkish Navy

Modernisation programmes

Naval Aviation Command

The Turkish Navy is currently undergoing several modernisation programmes to replace its ageing equipment. As of 2023, the major modernisation projects are as follows:

Ships & Submarines

MUGEM-class aircraft carrier

Main article: MUGEM-class aircraft carrier

On 3 January 2024, the Turkish government approved the plan for the design and construction of a larger aircraft carrier,[20] named the MUGEM-class aircraft carrier.[21]

On 15 February 2024, the Design and Projects Office of the Turkish Navy announced that it will be a STOBAR aircraft carrier with an overall length of 285 metres (935 ft),[21] beam of 72 metres (236 ft),[21] draught of 10.1 metres (33 ft),[21] and displacement of 60,000 tons.[21] It is to have a COGAG[21] propulsion system and a maximum speed of more than 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h).[21]

The construction of the first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier began on 2 January 2025.[18][22] The first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier is being built at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard.[18][22]

Anadolu-class amphibious assault ship / drone carrier

Main article: TCG Anadolu
TCG Anadolu (L-400) at the Bosporus strait during the naval parade for celebrating the centenary of the Turkish Republic on October 29, 2023. TCG Anadolu was commissioned on April 10, 2023.[23][24][25] Baykar MIUS Kızılelma is a jet-powered UCAV designed to operate on TCG Anadolu.[23][26][27]

TCG Anadolu is a 27,079-tonne amphibious assault ship (LHD) and drone carrier of the Turkish Naval Forces that can be configured as a 24,660-tonne V/STOL aircraft carrier.[28] Construction began on 30 April 2016 by Sedef Shipbuilding Inc. at their Istanbul shipyard.[29][30] TCG Anadolu was commissioned with a ceremony on 10 April 2023.[31][23] The construction of a sister ship, to be named TCG Trakya, is currently being planned by the Turkish Navy.[32][33]

The Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk and the Bell AH-1 SuperCobra are the two main types of helicopters used on TCG Anadolu, with the occasional use of CH-47F Chinook helicopters of the Turkish Army during military exercises and operations.[34] The AH-1W Super Cobras will eventually be complemented and replaced by the TAI T929 ATAK 2.[35]

The jet-powered, low-observable drone Bayraktar MIUS Kızılelma[23][36][37] and the MALE UAV Bayraktar TB3[38][39][40] are two UCAVs that are specifically designed and manufactured by Baykar Technologies to be used on TCG Anadolu.[41] The maiden flight of TAI Anka-3 (also part of Project MIUS), a jet-powered, flying wing type UCAV with stealth technology, was successfully completed on 28 December 2023.[42][43][44]

On 19 November 2024, a Baykar Bayraktar TB3 UCAV successfully took-off from the flight deck of TCG Anadolu and landed on the ship.[45][46][47] It was the first time a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft of this size and class had successfully landed on a short-runway landing helicopter dock, without the use of an arresting gear.[48][46][47]

TCG Anadolu has a 1,880 m2 (20,200 sq ft) light cargo garage for TEU containers and 27 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV);[49] a 1,165 m2 (12,540 sq ft) dock which can host four Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) or two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), or two Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP);[49] and a 1,410 m2 (15,200 sq ft) garage for heavy loads, which can host 29 main battle tanks (MBT), Amphibious Assault Vehicles, and TEU containers.[49] The ship is protected by the ARAS-2023 diver detection sonar (DDS). She has a crew of 261 personnel: 30 officers, 49 NCOs, 59 leading seamen, and 123 ratings.[50][49]

The ship has a 5,440 m2 (58,600 sq ft) flight deck and a 990 m2 (10,700 sq ft) aviation hangar which can accommodate either 12 medium-sized helicopters or 8 Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.[49] When the aviation hangar and the light cargo garage are unified, the ship can carry up to 25 medium-sized helicopters.[49] Alternatively, the ship can carry up to 10 F-35B STOVL fighter jets and 12 medium-sized helicopters,[49] with the possibility of hosting six more helicopters on the flight deck of the ship.[49]

TF-2000-class air defense destroyer

Main article: TF-2000-class destroyer

The TF-2000-class destroyer is a projected anti-air warfare guided-missile destroyer currently undergoing development by the Turkish Naval Institute.[51] The class will provide survivability in the presence of aerial threat and also support mission functions such as command, control, and communications, reconnaissance, early warning, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare. Moreover, once in service, the TF-2000s are slated to be an integral part of Türkiye's expeditionary strike groups centered around the TCG Anadolu LHD and the country's future MUGEM-class aircraft carriers.

The construction of the first TF-2000-class destroyer, the first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier, and the first MILDEN-class submarine began in the same day, on January 2, 2025.[18][22][52] The first TF-2000-class destroyer and the first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier are being built at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard,[18][22] while the first MILDEN-class submarine is being built at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard.[18][22] Large capital vessels like the TCG Anadolu and the MUGEM-class aircraft carriers require destroyer escorts to defend them against enemy aircraft, ships and submarines, a duty that will be undertaken by the TF-2000-class destroyers.

On 5 December 2007, the Defence Industry Executive Committee approved plans to build six ships of this class (4 fixed, 2 optional).[53] In January 2013, it was announced that Türkiye was planning to acquire a total of 8 TF-2000 destroyers, which was confirmed at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2021.[54] With the realization of the project, it is intended to improve the anti-air warfare (AAW) capabilities of the Turkish Navy.[55]

İstif-class frigate

Main article: İstif-class frigate
TCG Istanbul (F-515), the lead ship of the İstif-class frigates, at the Bosporus strait during the naval parade for celebrating the centenary of the Turkish Republic in 2023. Built as part of the MILGEM project, the İstif-class frigates use Turkish systems such as the Aselsan CENK 3D multi-beam AESA radar,[56] Roketsan MİDLAS VLS,[57] Sapan SAM,[57] SİPER SAM,[57] and Atmaca SSM.[57]

The İstif-class frigate programme was launched to construct four frigates to replace the aging Yavuz-class frigates in the mid-2020s. Developed under the MILGEM indigenous warship program, the İstif-class is an enlarged variant of the Ada-class anti-submarine warfare corvette. The İstif-class frigates will have around 50% increased fuel capacity and operational range capability compared to the Ada-class corvettes.[58]

The first İstif-class frigate, TCG Istanbul (F-515) was launched on 23 January 2021.[59][60][61] TCG Istanbul (F-515) was commissioned on 19 January 2024.[62][63]

The İstif-class frigates use Turkish systems such as the Aselsan CENK 3D multi-beam AESA radar,[64] Roketsan MİDLAS VLS,[57] Sapan SAM,[57] SİPER SAM,[57] and Atmaca SSM.[57]

Barbaros-class frigate modernisation

TCG Salihreis (F-246) at the Dardanelles strait during the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign in 2015. The upgraded Barbaros-class frigates are equipped with the SMART-S Mk2 3D radar and have two Mk. 41 Mod 8 VLS for 64 × RIM-162 ESSM and two Mk-141 launchers for 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon.

On 3 April 2018, a contract was signed between the Aselsan–HAVELSAN joint venture and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) regarding the mid-life upgrade project of the Barbaros-class frigates.[65][66] The project includes the integration of new weapons systems, a new combat management system, and new radars and sensors; together with the replacement of the original mast with an integrated mast and various upgrades. All four ships in the class are included in this project. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2025.[67]

The first two Barbaros-class vessels (F-244, F-245) have received an 8-cell Mk41 vertical launcher system (VLS) module, which replaced the obsolete Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launcher, while the slightly longer Salihreis-subclass vessels (F-246, F-247) have received a second 8-cell Mk 41 VLS module which brought the total number of cells to 16 (they can store a total of 64 RIM-162 ESSM missiles). Additionally, the old AWS-9 3D air search radars in all four vessels have been replaced by the SMART-S Mk2 3D radars.

The mid-life modernisation program also projects to enhance EW capabilities, double the number of anti-ship missiles that the vessels are equipped with, while also replacing the Harpoon missiles by the locally designed and produced Atmaca anti-ship missiles. The project also includes the substitution of the Oerlikon Sea Zenith CIWS systems with one Phalanx CIWS and one Aselsan Gökdeniz CIWS; the replacement of the existing TACTICOS combat management system with the Havelsan "B-SYS Combat Management System", and the installation of a 127mm main gun to the frigates. Finally, against asymmetric threats that the vessels may face, 2x2 L/UMTAS launchers will be integrated to the frigates.[68][69]

G-class frigate modernisation

TCG Göksu (F-497) in the Mediterranean Sea on August 21, 2023. The G-class frigates are equipped with the GENESIS combat management system, SMART-S Mk2 3D radar and Mk. 41 VLS, which has been installed in front of the Mk. 13 GMLS.

The G-class frigates of the Turkish Navy have undergone a major modernisation program which included the retrofitting of a Turkish digital combat management system named GENESIS (Gemi Entegre Savaş İdare Sistemi).[70] The system was designed and implemented jointly by the Turkish Navy and HAVELSAN, a Turkish electronic hardware systems and software company.[71] The GENESIS upgraded ships were delivered between 2007 and 2011.[72][73]

The GENESIS advanced combat management system has the capacity of tracking more than 1,000 tactical targets, thanks to its digital sensor data fusion, automatic threat evaluation, weapon engagement opportunities and Link-16/22 system integration.[74]

The modernisation program also includes the addition of an 8-cell Mk.41 VLS for RIM-162 ESSM, together with the upgrade of the Mk-92 fire control system by Lockheed Martin;[75] the retrofitting of the SMART-S Mk2 3D air search radar which replaced the AN/SPS-49;[76] and the addition of a new long range sonar.[77][78]

The Mk.41 vertical launching system (VLS) has been fitted in front of the Mk.13 launcher. TCG Gediz was the first ship in the class to receive the Mk.41 VLS installation.[79]

The G-class frigates of the Turkish Navy were also modified with the ASIST landing platform system at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, so that they can accommodate the S-70B Seahawk helicopter in all types of weather conditions.

Preveze-class submarine modernisation

TCG Preveze (S-353) surfaces at the Gulf of Taranto during the NATO exercise Sorbet Royal 2005

Half-life Modernisation Project of Preveze-class submarine covers the modernisation of TCG Preveze (S-353), TCG Sakarya (S-354), TCG 18 Mart (S-355) and TCG Anafartalar (S-356) submarines in the inventory of the Naval Forces Command. Modernisation activities are carried out by STM-ASELSAN-HAVELSAN and ASFAT Partnership.

In the modernisation process, it is planned to carry out the procurement activities of Inertial Navigation System, Salinity-Depth-Density Measurement System, Floating Antenna, Satellite Communication Mast, Assault and Navigation Periscope System, Emergency Underwater Communication System, Cooled Water System, Static Converter and Air Freshening System by STM.[80]

Reis-class submarine

The Reis-class submarine class vessels are the first submarines in the Turkish Navy with air-independent propulsion (AIP), which is made possible by fuel cell technology. The submarines can also deploy heavyweight torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, and lay mines against targets, both at sea and on land. Apart from Piri Reis, five more submarines of the project are expected to be commissioned by 2027. The sea trials of the first submarine of the class, Piri Reis, began on 6 December 2022.[81] The outfitting of the project's second submarine Hızır Reis and the hull production phases of two other vessels are ongoing. In 2015, Gölcük Naval Shipyard commenced a 10-year programme to build six Type 214 submarines, locally known as the Reis-class submarines, with technology from Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems of Germany.[82]

MILDEN-class submarine

Main article: MILDEN project

The MILDEN project (Turkish: Milli Denizaltı Projesi; English: "National Submarine Project") is a multi-year military design and procurement project to develop indigenous air-independent power attack submarines, intended to be commissioned into the Turkish Naval Forces in the 2030s. The first MILDEN class submarine is being designed and built at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard, where the concept design was completed in 2022, and the preliminary design phase, in which the main and auxiliary systems will be elaborated in detail, began in September 2022.[83]

MILDEN is a diesel-electric submarine of approximately 2,700 tonnes displacement, and over 80 metres (260 ft) in length.[83]

The construction of the first MILDEN-class submarine started on January 2, 2025.[18][84][52]

Aircraft, UAVs & UCAVs

Bayraktar TB3 UCAV

Main article: Baykar Bayraktar TB3
A Baykar Bayraktar TB3 UCAV on the flight deck of TCG Anadolu (L-400) in Istanbul, April 17, 2023.

In February 2021, chairman of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Ismail Demir made public a new type of UAV being developed by Baykar that is planned to be stationed to Turkey's first drone-carrying amphibious assault ship, TCG Anadolu.[85] The new aircraft being developed is a naval version of the Bayraktar TB2 equipped with a local engine developed by TEI.[86] According to the initial plans the ship was expected to be equipped with F-35B fighter jets but following the removal of Turkey from the procurement program, the vessel got into a modification process to be able to accommodate UAVs. Mr. Demir stated that between 30 and 50 folding-winged Bayraktar TB3 UAVs will be able to land and take off using the deck of Anadolu.[87][27][88][89][90]

On November 19, 2024, a Baykar Bayraktar TB3 UCAV successfully took-off from the flight deck of TCG Anadolu and landed on the ship.[45][46][47] It was the first time a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft of this size and class had successfully landed on a short-runway landing helicopter dock, without the use of an arresting gear.[48][46][47]

Baykar MIUS Kızılelma UCAV

Main article: Bayraktar Kızılelma
The Bayraktar Kızılelma is a jet-powered,[26] low-observable,[91] supersonic,[92] carrier-capable[93] UCAV designed to operate on TCG Anadolu.[23][27][26][94][95]

Developed for the Turkish Navy and Turkish Air Force as part of Project MIUS, the jet-powered Bayraktar Kızılelma UCAV is designed to operate on TCG Anadolu.[26][23][27] Its maiden flight took place on 14 December 2022.[26][94][95]

USVs

ULAQ

ULAQ is the first indigenous and locally developed Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (AUSV). The vehicle is being developed by a joint venture between Ares Shipyard and METEKSAN. The vessel is planned to be equipped with four Cirit and two L-UMTAS anti-tank missile systems provided by Roketsan. Moreover, ULAQ is projected to have a 400-kilometer-long cruising range with 65 km per hour maximum speed. The vessel is planned to be operated in missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence, surface warfare, asymmetric warfare, armed escort and force protection, and strategic facility security.[96] Currently, the project is undergoing sea trials and will start to fire tests through the third quarter of 2021.[97][98] First firing test of the vessel was completed on 26 May 2021 by destroying a designated target with Roketsan Cirit Missile.[99]

TCB Marlin

Main article: TCB Marlin SİDA

At a ceremony held on 9 January 2024, she entered servis in the Turkish Naval Forces as the first Armed USV with the hull number TCB-1101 and name Marlin SİDA.[citation needed]

Istanbul Naval Museum

Late 16th or early 17th century Ottoman galley known as Tarihi Kadırga at the Istanbul Naval Museum, built in the period between the reigns of Sultan Murad III (1574–1595) and Sultan Mehmed IV (1648–1687),[100][101] as evidenced by AMS radiocarbon dating and dendrochronological research.[101] She is the only surviving original galley in the world,[100][102] with the oldest continuously maintained wooden hull.[103]

The Istanbul Naval Museum is located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey. It was established in 1897 by the Ottoman Minister of the Navy (Bahriye Nazırı) Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha.[104][105]

The museum contains an important collection of military artifacts pertaining to the Ottoman Navy.[104] In the maritime field, it is Turkey's largest museum, with a great variety of collections. Around 20,000 pieces are present in its collection, including the late 16th or early 17th century Ottoman Navy galley known as Tarihi Kadırga, built in the period between the reigns of Sultan Murad III (1574–1595) and Sultan Mehmed IV (1648–1687),[100][101] as evidenced by AMS radiocarbon dating and dendrochronological research.[101] She is the only surviving original galley in the world,[100][102] and has the world's oldest continuously maintained wooden hull.[103]

Being connected to the Turkish Naval Forces Command, it is also the country's first military museum.[106]

In the early 21st century a new exhibition building was constructed. The construction began in 2008, and the building was reopened on 4 October 2013. It has two floors above ground level and one basement floor, all covering 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft).[106]

The basement consists of diverse items like figureheads, ornaments of naval ships, ship models, and pieces of the Byzantine chain that was used for blocking the entrance of the Golden Horn during the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453. In the first and second floors, a large number of imperial and other caïques are exhibited.[citation needed]

Many exhibition items underwent special restoration and conservation works due to deformation of the raw materials caused by heat, light, humidity, atmospheric conditions, vandalism and other factors.[106]

Insignia

Main article: Ranks of the Turkish Navy
NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1
 Turkish Naval Forces[107]
Büyük amiral Oramiral Koramiral Tümamiral Tuğamiral Albay Yarbay Binbaşı Yüzbaşı Üsteğmen Teğmen Asteğmen
NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
 Turkish Naval Forces[107]
 No insignia
Astsubay kıdemli başçavuş Astsubay başçavuş Astsubay kıdemli üstçavuş Astsubay üstçavuş Astsubay kıdemli çavuş Astsubay çavuş Astsubay astçavuş Uzman çavuş Çavuş Uzman onbaşı Onbaşı Er
  • Non-Turkish speakers might like to know that OF3, OF2, and OR2 literally translates as "Head of 1000", "Head of 100", and "Head of 10", respectively.

See also

Notes

References

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