Litmus Test of Turkiye’s Bilateral Relations: TCG Kınalıada

22 Aug 2024, 13:54
2 mins

TCG Kınalıada F-514 was sent to this country to commemorate the centennial of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Japan and the Ertuğrul frigate that sank on its return from Japan. TCG Kınalıada F-514 Corvette also served as a litmus test for relations established with the countries it passed through.

TCG Kınalıada F-514, which was sent off on April 8 to increase the visibility of the Turkish Naval Forces, promote national platforms and develop bilateral relations with the countries to be visited, was greeted with a ceremony at Leventler Port, where it arrived after a 4-month, 16-day cruise

Among the four corvettes built within the scope of Türkiye’s first national corvette project, MİLGEM, the corvette with the highest nationality rate and the newest, also fulfilled its duty of representing Turkish defence products.

TCG Kınalıada, following the route of the Ertuğrul Frigate, cruised for a total of 1,1926 hours in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and South China Sea during its 136-day mission and covered a distance of 27,280 nautical miles.

KINALIADA Corvette visited 23 ports in 19 countries and conducted international training. On its way back, the ship, which did not stop at New Delhi Port due to strained relations with India, although it was in the plan, continued on its way with a different route. On the other hand, the corvette stopped at the Alexandria Port of Egypt, although it was not in the plan, in light of the improved relations with this country, and then set sail for the Mediterranean Sea.