UPDATE: Turkish navy leads anti-piracy task force after parliament approval

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Saturday July 27, 2024

Turkish Navy ships TCG Kusadasi and TCG Kumkale, Mugla, Turkey, July 26, 2024 (AA Photo)

Istanbul (HOL) — The Turkish Navy has assumed command of a naval task group dedicated to combating maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean, Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, announced.

The deployment comes on the heels of the Turkish Parliament's approval of a motion granting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the authority to deploy Turkish naval forces to Somali waters. Somalia's Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed described the parliamentary approval as a "crucial milestone" in enhancing maritime security and strengthening the relationship between the two nations. The presence of Turkish naval forces aims to address piracy, illicit weapons trafficking, and terrorism along Somalia's coast.

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Tatlıoğlu made the announcement during the commissioning ceremony of the TCG Kuşadası and TCG Kumkale at Aksaz Naval Base in Marmaris, Turkey. These two Tuzla-class ships, built with domestic resources, will soon be deployed to Qatar to bolster regional maritime security.

Tatlıoğlu highlighted the Turkish Navy's historical significance and role in several international naval operations, including its command of the mine countermeasures task group in the Black Sea, involvement in NATO's mine warfare and surface task groups in the Mediterranean, and support for operations in front of Libya and Lebanon.

The waters off Somalia have long been notorious for piracy incidents that disrupt international shipping and endanger seafarers. The region's unique combination of socio-economic, political, and geographic factors has made it a hotspot for modern piracy, presenting complex challenges for the international community. Modern piracy surged in the early 2000s, correlating with the collapse of Somalia's central government in 1991, which led to widespread lawlessness and economic desperation.

Several factors have contributed to the rise of piracy in Somalia. The disintegration of Somalia's government created an absence of law and order, allowing criminal enterprises, including piracy, to thrive. Extreme poverty and lack of employment opportunities pushed many young Somali men towards piracy as a means of survival. Foreign vessels engaged in illegal fishing and dumping toxic waste along Somalia's coast, depleting local resources and driving some fishermen towards piracy out of desperation. The extensive and largely unmonitored Somali coastline provides vast areas where pirates can operate with relative impunity.

Somali pirates typically use small, fast skiffs launched from larger "mother ships" to approach and board merchant vessels. Armed with automatic weapons and RPGs, they target lightly defended ships, often taking crews hostage and demanding multi-million dollar ransoms. The hijacked ships are then typically anchored close to the Somali coast while negotiations are conducted, sometimes over several months.

The surge in piracy has had profound effects on global shipping. Shipping companies face higher costs due to increased security measures, higher insurance premiums, and the need to reroute ships to avoid high-risk areas. Hundreds of seafarers have been kidnapped and held in harsh conditions, causing severe psychological and physical trauma.

In response, the international community has mounted substantial efforts to combat piracy. Multinational naval task forces, such as NATO's Operation Ocean Shield, the EU's Operation Atalanta, and the US-led Combined Task Force 151, patrol high-risk waters, escort merchant vessels, and conduct counter-piracy operations. Guidelines for shipping companies and vessel operators enhance onboard security and recommend safer routing.

The Turkish naval deployment is part of a cooperation framework established between Turkey and Somalia that includes plans to send a drilling ship to Somali waters for hydrocarbon exploration, as Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced earlier this year. The defence and economic cooperation agreement between Turkey and Somalia, signed in February, reflects the growing relationship between the two nations, particularly in the wake of the contentious MoU signed by Ethiopia and the breakaway Republic of Somaliland.

The decision by the Turkish Parliament was subject to controversy. Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party, initially opposed the motion, citing concerns that the deployment of Turkish troops in Somali waters could create tensions with other regional countries. The breakaway region of Somaliland also issued a statement warning against any deployment of Turkish forces in its maritime zones, rejecting any potential encroachments on its recognized maritime territory. Despite these concerns, the motion was passed, marking a significant step in the Turkish-Somali partnership aimed at regional peace and security.

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