Turkish military holds large-scale naval exercise in east Med

Nearly 15,000 Turkish military personnel have participated in an extensive 11-day military exercise conducted in the eastern Mediterranean.

Running from May 7 to 18 off Türkiye's southwestern province of Muğla, the exercise, dubbed Seawolf-II, aims to enhance the "judgment, foresight and decision-making capabilities of naval units, as well as to test interoperability procedures among other force commands," a senior military official explained.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 11 addressed military personnel via videoconference, highlighting Türkiye's steadfast commitment to fortifying its defense capabilities "despite occasionally facing covert or overt embargoes imposed by some allies."

"We are engaged in a resolute struggle across various fronts, from unmanned systems to air defense, armored vehicles to electronic warfare systems," Erdoğan remarked.

He underscored that the recent developments in the region served as a stark reminder of the critical importance of the motto "a strong army, a strong Türkiye."

On the same day, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, accompanied by senior ministry and military officials, monitored the exercise. The minister highlighted that the Turkish Armed Forces conducted 89 national and international exercises in the past training year, including the ongoing Efes exercise, which began its active phase on May 9 and will continue until May 30th with extensive international participation.

The Seawolf-II exercise commenced with the naval fleet mobilization on May 7.

From May 7 to 8, preparations and actual weapon training took place, logistical integration activities occurred on May 9 and 10, and distinguished observer day activities were carried out on May 11 from Muğla's Marmaris.