Turkish frigate headed to gulf of Aden to fight piracy

A Turkish warship set sail yesterday from the Aksaz naval base on the Aegean coast to Somalia as part of a UN-led force to prevent pirates from hijacking foreign ships. Flying the Turkish flag in the region as part of the fight against piracy will be a source of honor, Staff Col. Cenk Dalkanat, who commands the TCG Giresun, said at a ceremony before the ship set sail. "The Giresun stands ready to fulfill the duties assigned to it using modern arms and systems, and will participate in the operation with 263 crew members … whose hearts are full of love for their country and their mission," he added. At the ceremony, many wives and children of the crew were full of emotion and pride at the departure of their loved ones. Last week Parliament approved a government motion allowing Turkey to deploy naval forces for the operation. The motion entails a one-year limit for the deployment in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast, where more than a dozen commercial vessels have been hijacked by pirates. In 2008, pirates attacked 111 ships in the waterway, hijacking 42 of them and receiving tens of millions of dollars in ransoms. Three of these vessels were Turkish cargo ships.