Turkey has requested an extension of the mission of Turkish naval forces in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the regional waters of Somalia.
In a memorandum sent to the parliament, the Presidency called for the extension of the mission for an additional year starting from February 10, 2024, according to the official Anadolu Agency.
The memorandum highlighted that “the Turkish naval forces operating in the mentioned areas have effectively ensured the safety of commercial vessels carrying the Turkish flag or associated with Turkey.”
It emphasized the participation of these forces in joint international operations, including combating piracy, armed robbery, and terrorism at sea.
The mission of the naval forces in these regions was last extended by the parliament in early February 2023 for one year.
The Presidency called for the extension of the forces’ mission “to continue executing their tasks by relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and contribute to international efforts against terrorism at sea beyond the regional waters of the countries in the region.”
The maritime passages in the region have been experiencing heightened tension due to attacks carried out by the United States and the United Kingdom against targets affiliated with the Houthi movement in Yemen, which disrupted maritime traffic to Israel in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under devastating Israeli attacks since October 7, last year.
The US and the UK initiated a broad attack on several Yemeni cities last Friday, targeting sites affiliated with the Houthi movement in response to repeated attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The Pentagon announced that the US Air Force conducted strikes on more than 60 targets affiliated with the Houthi movement in Yemen, using over 100 precision-guided munitions of various types in the attack.
On Friday morning, the Houthi movement announced its readiness to confront any confrontation with the US and the UK, considering any military action against it as support for Israel.
The movement stated in a statement that 5 of its members were killed and 6 others were injured in the strikes launched by the US and the UK on Yemen.
Tensions in the southern Red Sea have escalated after the Houthi movement in Yemen announced the targeting of ships it claims are related to Israel, heading to or coming from it, in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
