Prime ministry submits motion for deploment of Turkish troops in Gulf of Aden

The Prime Ministry yesterday submitted to Parliament a motion to authorize the government for a one-year period to deploy Turkish troops in waters near Somali, citing the serious problem of piracy in that area. "The threat to Turkish merchant ships and Turkish citizens serving on them has a negative impact on our country's commercial and economic interests," it said. "To this end, our government believes that it would be appropriate to ask permission from Parliament for the deployment of Turkish maritime forces in the Gulf of Aden, the territorial waters of Somali, the Arabian Sea and neighboring regions in order to fulfill a series of duties together with allied forces."