Haveeru Online
Monday, May 09, 2011
A helicopter parked on the deck of the Turkish Navy vessel, TGC Giresun, which harboured in the Maldives last week, as part of a joint naval operation with NATO to locate and stop Somali pirates operating in the area. HAVEERU PHOTO/ ABDULLA JAMEEL
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Turkish forces working under NATO to locate and stop Somali pirates operating in Asia has ruled out any signs of pirate activity in Maldivian territory. A Turkish Navy ship working for NATO harboured in Male last week – the first time a Turkish Naval vessel had harboured in the Maldives. The ship, TGC Giresun, which began its operations in the region in February with the latest gadgets and helicopters, left Male on May 2.
A Turkish Navy official, speaking from the ship, told local journalists that the Navy joined forces with NATO and started the operation last October.
“This is the sixth Turkish Naval vessel to get involved in this operation. So far 120 pirates had been arrested and 14 others had also been arrested along with some Yemeni Fishermen,” the official said.
TGC Gerisun docked in Male for three days and has left to continue the operation.
“Male harbour is one of the places NATO had given the okay to dock at. Even though there isn’t any pirate activity going about in the Maldivian territory, the Gulf of Aden and this area is where most pirate activities occur,” said the official.
The Turkish Navy official stressed that the Navy’s main task is to closely monitor the routes taken by major cargo ships and prevent pirate attacks on them.
“There aren’t any definite guidelines on what to do with those pirates captured. So we release them off the Somali coast after confiscating their weapons. We have no one under our custody,” the official added.
Statistics shared by the Turkish Navy reveal that 14 percent of all cargo ships travel through the Gulf of Aden.