Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today officially commissioned a new submarine, a landing craft, and an unmanned naval vehicle into service with the Turkish Navy, stressing that Ankara seeks to protect its rights and interests, not to escalate tensions.
“We have no ambitions regarding anyone’s territory or sovereignty. We do not want tension with any country. We do not want crises, confrontations, or conflicts. We desire nothing other than peace and stability for our neighbors,” Erdoğan declared during the ceremony.
He underlined that Turkey is a country that “does not allow and will never allow its rights and interests to be violated,” adding that current investments in defense are not made in preparation for war, but to safeguard peace, independence, and the country’s future, Euronews.al reports.
Referring to the operational capabilities of the new assets, Erdoğan emphasized that “the most important weapon is the submarine TCG Hızırreis, which, thanks to its air-independent propulsion system and advanced capabilities, will be the national guardian of the silent depths.” According to him, this submarine is officially entering service today.
Also commissioned was the new landing craft Ç-159, which will operate in rough waters both in military operations and in humanitarian missions during peacetime.
The Turkish president also highlighted the armed unmanned surface vehicle ULAQ, describing it as another source of pride.
“ULAQ is a symbol of digital transformation and autonomous systems based on artificial intelligence at sea. It is a pioneer of the future in the operational field,” Erdoğan stated.
