The Blue Homeland-2025 Exercise, organized by the Turkish Naval Forces,got underway on Tuesday, spanning the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean.

The large-scale drill is a key part of Türkiye’s annual military training program.

A press briefing held at the Naval Warfare Center Command in Gölcük, Kocaeli, was attended by top naval officials, including Rear Admiral Hüseyin Tığlı, Commander of Naval Training and Education, and other high-ranking officers.

Rear Admiral Kenan Kaan Türkkan, Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces, provided detailed insights into the exercise, emphasizing its strategic importance.

Rear Admiral Türkkan highlighted that the exercise aims to evaluate the operational effectiveness of naval commands, enhance readiness levels, and improve decision-making capabilities in complex threat scenarios.

The exercise will involve 90 ships, 50 aircraft, and approximately 20,000 personnel, with participation from the Land Forces, Air Forces, and Coast Guard Command.

Key assets include attack aircraft, CH-47 helicopters, and six Coast Guard vessels, showcasing joint operational synergy.

The exercise will include readiness training for naval operations, coastal unit drills, and operational scenarios in multi-threat environments.

Additionally, the newly modernized frigate TCG Oruçreis, upgraded under the Barbaros-Class Frigate Mid-Life Modernization Project, will make its operational debut during the exercise.

A total of 59 ships will conduct 22 planned port visits across the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean.