The Lieutenant Caner Gönyeli 2023 Search and Rescue Exercise’s maritime phase was successfully executed in the Turkish Search and Rescue Zone off the coast of Gazimağusa.

Military and civilian search and rescue elements from the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) participated in two separate scenarios during the second phase of the two-day exercise.

The second phase of the Lieutenant Caner Gönyeli Search and Rescue Exercise was carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean within the Turkish Search and Rescue Zone off the coast of Gazimağusa on Wednesday.

The exercise was observed by Acting President, Speaker of the Parliament Zorlu Töre, Commander of the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces (GKK) Major General Osman Aytaç, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, the Turkish Deputy Minister of the Interior Mehmet Sağlam, the Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu, as well as military attaches from Kosovo, Djibouti, Azerbaijan, Libya, Pakistan, and Qatar, on board the corvette named “TCG Yaşam.”

Two different scenarios were conducted during the maritime phase of the exercise.

The first scenario involved the rescue of irregular migrants who had fallen into the sea following a collision with a bulk cargo ship and a commercial yacht.

The second scenario included extinguishing a fire on the cargo ship and rescuing those on board, as well as rescuing survivors after a collision between a commercial ship and a tanker.

Speaking during the exercise, Acting President and Parliamentary Speaker Zorlu Töre praised the search and rescue teams for conducting such a well planned and organised exercise.

He emphasized that the Security Forces Command and the Turkish Armed Forces ensured the country’s security both at sea and on land.

Töre stated that the heroic Turkish army is always ready in times of both war and peace, saying, “Heroism means advancing without retreating, and heroism is acting with the high interests of the Turkish nation in mind.”

The Turkish Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mehmet Sağlam, also mentioned that the exercise conducted in cooperation between Türkiye and the TRNC would further enhance the collaboration between the two countries.

He emphasized that, given the geographical location of the region, improving the capabilities of their organizations and personnel operating in the seas was not a choice but a necessity.

Sağlam added that ensuring security, peace, and stability in such a critical region, as well as protecting the rights and interests arising from international law in the Eastern Mediterranean, is their responsibility.

Turkish Coast Guard Commander Rear Admiral Ahmet Kendir for his part said that the exercise, in which both civilian and military elements from Türkiye and the TRNC participated, was successfully carried out.

He added that the purpose of the exercise was to identify search and rescue needs that could arise at sea and on land and to enhance mutual cooperation.