The Turkish Fleet Command is one of the four and largest subordinate commands of the

Turkish Naval Forces The Turkish Naval Forces ( tr, ), or Turkish Navy ( tr, ) is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was establis ...

formed in 1961. It is a strike force of the Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC). Fleet Command operates War Fleet Command, Submarine Fleet Command, Mine Fleet Command and Naval Aviation Command. Turkey introduced three new task groups such as Northern, Southern and Western Commands in the Fleet Command in 2011 to ensure effective coordination and cooperation between the naval forces. It also consists of landing units, with its headquarters at

Gölcük Naval Base Gölcük Naval Base ( tr, Gölcük Deniz Ana Üssü) is the main base of the Turkish Navy on the east coast of the Sea of Marmara in Gölcük, Kocaeli. It is the principal base for logistic support with various facilities stretched over of land ...

, covering the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

. Its zonal commands are stationed in Eregli that covers

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...

while its strait commands are headquartered at

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

and

Çanakkale Çanakkale (pronounced ), ancient ''Dardanellia'' (), is a city and seaport in Turkey in Çanakkale province on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the city is 195,439 (2021 estimate). Çanakkale is ...

that covers

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

towards

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin Province, Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and dis ...

. As of 2016, Turkish Fleet Command is one of the strongest commands in the Black Sea.

History

The Turkish Fleet Command was formed in 1961 after the country became a member of NATO on 18 February 1952. It coordinated with close allies of the NATO for establishing military relations. The Navy improved its

organizational structure An organizational structure defines how activities such as task allocation, coordination, and supervision are directed toward the achievement of organizational aims. Organizational structure affects organizational action and provides the foundat ...

military doctrine Military doctrine is the expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. It is a guide to action, rather than being hard and fast rules. Doctrine provides a common frame of reference across ...

, and

military capabilities This is a list of countries by level of military equipment, including naval ships, fighter aircraft and nuclear weapons. This list is indicative only, as strict comparisons cannot accurately be made. List States marked 'TC' are widely consid ...

for carrying all operations independently in accordance with

Standardization Agreement In NATO, a standardization agreement (STANAG, redundantly: STANAG agreement) defines processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO st ...

. On 4 April 1953, Turkish Naval Forces lost 81 submariners when submarine ''Dumlupınar II(D-6)'' met with an accident and collided with the Swedish Freighter Naboland. The loss of 81 submariners created disturbance in Turkey and an "emotional bridge between the Turkish Nation and the Turkish sailors" was created. The event was heavenly covered in Turkish songs and poems, and as a result, the Navy formed four main commands such as Fleet Command, Northern Sea Area Command, Southern Sea Area Command and Naval Training and Education Command in 1961 to improve its

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...

service branch Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state. Types of branches Unified armed forces The Canadian Armed Forces is the unifi ...

References

{{reflist Turkish Naval Forces Military units and formations established in 1961 1961 establishments in Turkey

History

See also

References