Turkey Bets on New Naval Clout for Edge in High-Seas Power Play

By Patrick Sykes

Jan 24, 2025 (Bloomberg) –When Turkey’s navy welcomed two new ships to its fleet this month, officials left no doubt about the scale of their mission – or its geopolitical ambition.

The 3,000-ton frigates “will represent our nation’s power and determination in the world’s seas,” Haluk Gorgun, head of the presidency’s Secretariat of Defense Industries, said at a ceremony to mark the launch. “Turkey is taking firm steps to become a country that’s strong at sea, with deterrence in the field and a voice at the table.”

The newbuilds are the latest product of a naval expansion drive that will give Ankara added clout into and beyond the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas. The aim is also to diversifying a booming domestic defense industry that’s better known for its flying drones.

It’s a long-term bet that could benefit from a growing conflict over maritime trade routes, as Iran-backed Houthi rebels threaten merchant shipping off the coast of Yemen, while Ukraine and Russia trade blows in the Black Sea and NATO ramps up surveillance to counter suspected sabotage of underwater cables.

Still to come are another 29 ships under construction in Turkish yards, including the country’s first domestically produced submarines, destroyers and an aircraft carrier. Those would expand the overall fleet to 209 vessels, according to Bloomberg calculations based on the latest breakdown by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

“It not only shifts the regional balance of power but also marks Turkey’s emergence as a blue-water navy capable of projecting force abroad wh…