ANKARA -

In a fiery sea surroundings, and in conjunction with the war between Russia and Ukraine, which have maritime borders with Turkey, and in light of the border dispute with Greece, and with the continued goal of exploration for resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara sent “war messages” by conducting large and huge naval maneuvers that carry The name "Blue Home 2022", simultaneously in 3 seas: the Black, the Aegean and the Mediterranean, was launched on April 11 and will continue until the 21st of the same month.

According to the statement of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, 122 ships and 41 air units, with 12,000 personnel, are participating in these maneuvers, consisting of 10 frigates, 6 corvettes, 17 attack boats, 11 submarines, 8 naval mine-hunting ships, 32 ships of the auxiliary ship class, 12 patrol ships and 25 landing boats. A test and training ship.

The ground, air and gendarmerie forces are also participating, in addition to dozens of ships, helicopters and aircraft of the Turkish Coast Guard.

In the ongoing maneuvers it uses live ammunition and carries out naval and air strikes on unmanned and high-speed vehicles as targets, in order to create a real war environment.

For his part, the Director of the Exercise and Commander of Turkish Naval Operations, Admiral Yusef Akyuz, explained in a military meeting in the city of Kocaeli (northwest of Turkey), that the maneuvers aim to "increase the level of readiness of the forces to carry out any naval operation at any time, and to test the administrative and organizational competence of the leadership of the naval forces." and its affiliates.

It is noteworthy that the Turkish fleet ranks 20th in the world in the number of naval vessels and includes 149 naval vessels, and frigates are the main striking force in the Turkish Navy, along with 12 submarines, 16 warships, and various types of warships.

The exercises involve all weapons and naval vessels, including (French) submarines.

Increased readiness and efficiency test

In this context, retired Turkish General Ismail Hakki said, "Our army aims to protect the republic's interests and maritime gains, and through the current maneuvers, we announce our readiness and determination to protect them, and we carry the slogan: Strong in our blue homeland... Safe in our homeland."

General Haqqi told Al Jazeera Net, "We have projects to explore for gas and oil in the Mediterranean, and there is a Russian-Ukrainian war on the outskirts of our country in the Black Sea, so that the mines of that war reached our local waters, as well as the ongoing dispute with Greece over islands located between the two countries in the Aegean Sea, Therefore, Turkey warns and confirms that it is ready for all scenarios, and therefore the exercises are an important message in this context.

He points out that the maneuvers constitute an opportunity to test the locally-made weapons that have recently entered service and to ensure their readiness, especially since Turkey is in the midst of the maritime defense industry, and in the recent period has made a great leap in the issue of self-manufacturing of its weapons.

In its display of force at the borders of its territorial waters, Turkey preferred to focus on the use of home-made weapons and defensive and offensive systems, which many read Ankara's desire to confirm the great stride it had made in the field of military industrialization, as it now manufactures about 75% of its military needs.

Turkey displays its naval power through maneuvers in 3 seas experiencing tensions and wars (French)

blue home

A vast body of water surrounds the map of Turkey from the north through the Black Sea, from the west through the Aegean Sea, and from the south through the Mediterranean Sea. Al-Turabi, which constitutes the Turkish Republic.

Through the "Blue Homeland" plan, Turkey seeks to expand the surrounding marine waters, which means the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf and the territorial waters surrounding Turkey, which allows the free use of all the marine resources in them.

The area of ​​the "blue homeland" is equivalent to half of the land area of ​​Turkey, according to the Turkish Aydınlık website.

According to the theory of the Blue Homeland, according to the retired Turkish Admiral Jim Gordenes, who invented the theory, the extension of Turkish sovereignty over vast areas of the eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Black Seas, and this theory still controls the Turkish naval doctrine.

Gordeniz believes that the Turkish navy is the first in the eastern Mediterranean, so Turkey should be more ambitious.

He told AFP earlier that "the Mediterranean constitutes only 1% of the oceans and seas in the world. Turkey should go beyond this percentage...Turkey should have a presence in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, as a symbol of increasing influence."

In September of the year 2019, Turkish media published a picture of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with a map of the "Blue Homeland" behind him, during his visit to the Military School of the Turkish Ministry of Defense.

The photo infuriated Greece, and its foreign minister, Nikos Dendias, said at the time, "No country can draw its map based on its political desires."

According to international laws, the territorial waters start from the sea shore and extend over 12 nautical miles, in which the state exercises its sovereignty and exercises its governmental functions, and it includes both the airspace and the seabed and the layers below.

As for the exclusive economic zone, it extends to 200 nautical miles, and allows neighboring countries to practice activities in those waters and benefit from the resources available there, provided that these projects are announced and approval is obtained.