President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Sunday that Turkey will not allow oil and gas extraction in eastern Mediterranean through plans excluding the nation and the Turkish Republic off Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
“We will not accept attempts to seize natural resources in eastern Mediterranean through exclusion of Turkey and the TRNC,” Erdoğan said at a ceremony at the Istanbul Shipyard Command of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in Tuzla district for the delivery of TCG Burgazada corvette to the Turkish Navy.
“We only protect the rights of our country and of our brothers. Those who thought that they could take steps in eastern Mediterranean or the Aegean despite have begun to understand the magnitude of their mistake. We will not allow bandits in the seas to roam free just like we made the terrorists in Syria pay,” Erdoğan said.
He noted that Turkey has decreased its foreign dependency in defense industry from 80 percent to 35 percent.
TCG Burgazada is the third Ada (Island) class corvette built as part of the National Ship (MILGEM) project and delivered to the navy after TCG Heybeliada and TCG Büyükada, which were delivered in 2011 and 2013, respectively. The fourth corvette, TCG Kınalıada, is currently under construction and will be delivered in 2020.
Erdoğan also made the symbolic first welding for TCG Aydın Reis submarine being built as part of the National Submarine (MILDEN) project.
The Turkish Naval Forces also launched in Jan. 2017 the construction of the TCG Istanbul frigate based on the successful design, production and experience of Ada class corvettes carried out in national facilities. The vessel, expected to be completed in four years, will be Turkey’s first domestically made frigate and fifth domestically made warship.
Source: Daily Sabah