Each ship is 113.2 meters long and powered by one GE LM2500 gas turbine, two MTU diesel engines, and accessory equipment. It has a top speed of 52 kilometers per hour and a range of 10,000 kilometers at a cruising speed of 25 kilometers per hour. A crew of about 124 operates air- and surface-fire-control radars and sonar to detect submersibles. In the rear, a hangar houses a ten-ton-class helicopter and some aerial drones.

Armament includes one 76   mm/62 caliber cannon and a 35 mm dual-barrel autocannon for CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) defense against anti-ship missiles, glide bombs, and attack drones. It also has a dual-barrel 25 mm autocannon for surface threats. It has 16 VLS cells carrying Turkish anti-aircraft missiles. It has two triple-cell launchers for anti-submarine torpedoes.

These ships and their weapons and components made in Turkey are another product of the Turkish arms industry. New systems include the Tufan naval surface attack drone. The Anka 3 fixed-wing reconnaissance and surveillance drone is now in service. The Pamir 4x4 light tactical armored vehicle is used for reconnaissance, rapid response, and Special Operations Forces. The Palem is a ground-transport drone. It can carry troops and cargo and, like similar vehicles in Ukraine, be armed with various weapons. Turkey is also developing hypersonic missiles, as are most other major military powers. These are used frequently by the Russians to hit Ukrainian economic targets and populated areas. Turkey is also developing Kizilelma, a drone jet fighter. Turkey finally brought its Altay tank into service to compete with the American M-1 and the German Leopard 2. Turkey also introduced Kaplan, a tracked autonomous combat vehicle that can carry a variety of weapons, including upcoming laser systems to counter drones.

Then there is the Turkish Navy’s future aircraft carrier project. The government previously announced the carrier project is fully indigenous, with Turkish design, engineering, and domestic construction. The ship will be 285 meters long and displace around 60,000 tons. The Navy currently plans to fly a mix of 50 manned and 50 drone aircraft from the ship. The manned aircraft could be a navalized version of the Turkish-made Hurjet light attack aircraft, but only if the carrier adds a catapult. The Navy originally wanted to acquire F-35B/STOVL jump jets, but America kicked Turkey out of the entire F-35 program after Turkey acquired Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles.

On the 22nd, Erdogan announced that Iraq had agreed to cooperate with Turkey to fight PKK Kurdish rebels. Erdogan visited Iraq and met with the Iraqi leader. Both men discussed security issues, including the PKK, and agreed to take joint steps to improve border security. This was another way of saying Iraq would try to keep the PKK out of Iraq. They also discussed several bilateral economic issues, including a new economic trade corridor called the Development Road. The corridor would connect Arab and Persian Gulf countries to Turkey via Iraq. Erdogan and Sudani also discussed water issues. Iraqis worry that Turkey’s dams on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers will restrict the amount of water Iraq receives, which violates their downstream water rights. In the 1980s, Turkey began building a series of large power dams on the rivers' headwaters. The dams were part of the Southeastern Anatolia Project. Sudani said that Turkey and Iraq had reached a ten-year agreement on managing water resources that recognized Iraq’s needs. Turkey and Iraq signed 20 memorandums of understanding. Erdogan’s trip to Baghdad was the first visit by a senior Turkish official to Iraq since 2011.

Turkey’s Scientific and Technological Research Council announced it had begun low-rate production of two domestically developed air-to-air missiles, the Gokdogan and the Bozdogan. Initially, it will produce 25 of each. Turkish F-16s will carry the missiles.

The Turkish Ada-class corvette TCG Kinaliada is en route to a five-month-long deployment in East Asia. The ship left Turkey on April 8 and is en route to Japan to mark the 100th anniversary of Turkish-Japanese diplomatic relations. The vessel will visit several other East Asian countries.

Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel continue to deteriorate. Since early April, both nations have imposed trade barriers. Turkey said it is restricting exports of 54 product types to Israel, including steel, aluminum, aviation fuel, and chemical fertilizers. On April 8, Israel told Turkey that Turkish military transport planes could not participate in a humanitarian air drop over Gaza.

Turkey has also joined its NATO allies and suspended its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. The agreement limited conventional military equipment in Europe. It was meant as a post-Cold War confidence-building measure. Russia withdrew from the agreement in 2023.

The government’s High Electoral Board restored Abdullah Zeydan's right to become mayor of Van in eastern Turkey. Zeydan belongs to the pro-Kurd DEM Party. He won the election on March 31st, but on April 2nd a regional election board refused to recognize his victory and replaced him with the man he had defeated, who was a member of Erdogan’s AKP Party. A national outcry erupted. The High Electoral Board overruled the regional electoral board’s decision. Zeydan won 55 percent of the vote, the AKP candidate 27 percent.

Turkish media describe President Erdogan as stunned by the March 31 municipal election results. The CHP retained control of both Istanbul and Ankara. The pro-Kurd DEM won several municipalities in southeastern Turkey.

Last month, Turkish security personnel announced the arrest of two suspected Israeli spies. Police and intelligence authorities detained six others as part of the operation.

Austin Bay/ James F Dunnigan