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01/28/2007: Turkish Coast Guard Building New Large Patrol Vessels, as Coastal Waters Dispute Simmers

01/28/2007: Turkish Coast Guard Building New Large Patrol Vessels, as Coastal Waters Dispute Simmers

(Balkanalysis.com Security &; Intelligence Brief 19)  In an effort to maintain strategic balance in the Aegean and Black Seas, the Turkish Coast Guard is building 4 new large patrol vessels. According to Jane’s Navy International on January 25, 2007, citing the Italian shipyard Fincantieri, the ships are to be based on the Italian Comandante-class design, classified to RINA-MIL standards.

Also referred to as search-and-rescue (SAR) vessels, the ships are to be built in Turkey by RMK Marine Shipyard, owned by the largest conglomerate in Turkey, the Koc Group. According to Jane, the total cost of the SAR craft will be $325 million.

The use of the Coast Guards of Greece and neighboring Turkey have been accentuated by lingering disagreements about territorial waters and fishing rights. A rocky set of islets in disputed waters near the Greek island of Kalymnos, which almost brought the two countries to war in 1996, is again the setting for a showdown- but now with overtly economic dimensions.

Turkish newspaper Hurriyet recently cited reports in the Greek press which alleged that Turkish coast guard boats “…have been trying to prevent the Greek fishing boats from casting their nets in the waters off of Kardak [disputed islets], while some Turkish press has even written of Greek coast guards firing on Turkish fishing boats.”