Turkish Naval Forces to continue anti-piracy operations off Somalia

The Turkish government on Friday submitted a draft to Parliament that would allow the country's naval forces to continue their anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden as part of an international mission off the coast of Somalia.

In February 2008, Parliament first approved a government motion allowing Ankara to deploy Turkish warships as part of Combined Task Force 151, or CTF-151, after scores of commercial vessels were hijacked by pirates.

Turkish marines have engaged in numerous clashes with pirates and detained a number of them.

Unlike the Turkish military's role in international operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, its role in CTF-151 is a relatively new phenomenon. Turkish ships had not participated in international operations that require armed clashes.

According to experts, the Turkish Navy's cooperation with the international community is related to two main issues: First, Turkish-owned commercial ships are increasingly on the high seas and piracy is considered one of the main threats to Turkey’s emerging shipping business. The second is Turkey’s new foreign policy perspective, which seeks to be active in the international community.

The motion, which is likely to be approved, is set to be discussed during the parliamentary session Feb. 2.