UAE and Turkey to conduct counter-piracy naval exercises

Dubai: The UAE and Turkey will conduct counter-piracy naval exercises on Sunday to promote security and stability at sea, while contributing to the world's peace, a top naval official has said.

"Our mission is a counter-piracy operation, to deter the piracy at sea in the Gulf of Aden in the internationally recognised transiting corridor and Arabian sea and in the Indian ocean and conducting naval diplomacy," said Rear Admiral Sinan Ertugrul, Commander of the Turkish Task Force.

Speaking on board the Turkish warship TCG Barbaros docked at Mina Zayed, Rear Admiral Ertugrul praised the Emirati navy as, "very capable and very powerful. And we believe that we can enhance the level of interoperability between the navies of the two countries."

Hijacked ship

Special forces from the UAE stormed a hijacked ship in the Arabian Sea, east of Oman, in early April, rescuing the crew and capturing all of the pirates who had seized the vessel only a day before.

The operation was conducted in co-ordination with the Bahrain-based US 5th fleet.

During his five-day visit, Admiral Ertugrul will have talks with his Emirati counterpart Commander of the UAE Naval Forces, Staff Brigadier Ebrahim Salem Al Beloushi to promote the ability of the two countries to work together and share intelligence and expertise.

Admiral Ertugrul stressed piracy was a threat to peace and prosperity not only in the region but worldwide because piracy had a great effect on maritime trade and security.

Well organised

"We coordinate all the activities we conduct with all the forces in the area, it is not national, it is very well organised and coordinated," he said.

As part of its global anti-piracy mission, Turkey is deploying four frigates, which conducted joint exercises with Oman.

Similar joint training exercises will be conducted with Qatar, Pakistan, India, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

The four warships are part of the Turkish Maritime Task Group (TMTG), which was set up as part of the Turkish Navy's expansion plans.

Supporting treaty

Admiral Ertugrul said the grant objective of TMTG exercise was to support the ongoing United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation operations worldwide, and ensuring maritime security.

"Given the threats to global security, especially maritime security, Turkey's drive assumes greater significance and is meant to promote security at the seas and contributing to world peace."

In a bid to boost the anti-piracy efforts, the Turkish Maritime Task Group will be providing naval escorts to Turkish and non-Turkish flagged vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden.

We don't discriminate

Admiral Ertugul said: "We don't discriminate, we protect whoever joins us in the convoy operation.

"This is international courtesy. Other nations are also doing the same. Some Turkish flagged vessels are now escorted by other friendly countries. The nations are very interested in coming together to find common solutions to the issue of piracy.

Traffic: busy trading route

Around 33,000 merchant ships navigate annually through the Gulf of Aden, Suez Canal, and Red Sea that have great significance on global sea trade.

The value of the freight of the transiting ships is almost equal to 14 per cent of world merchant shipping (approx Dh6.6 trillion), 26 per cent of world petroleum shipping and 30 per cent of European Petroleum consumption.

Around 30 Turkish merchant ships that navigate monthly in the area.

Nato is conducting counter-piracy activities in full cooperation with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and with actions against piracy initiated by others, such as the European Union.