Navy warship reaches Turkey port on friendly visit

A warship of the Indian Navy on Sunday entered the Port of Istanbul for a friendly visit, as India seeks to deepen its engagement with Turkey, particularly in maritime security and other areas of defence.

The INS Trikhand, a state-of-the-art warship of the navy, will engage extensively with the Turkish Navy.

“Apart from professional interactions, a number of sports and social engagements are also planned, which would go a long way in enhancing cooperation and understanding towards mutually beneficial issues of maritime interest,” the defence ministry said in a press release issued in New Delhi. Turkey, which has strong ties with Pakistan, has repeatedly voted against India at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on the issue of Kashmir. The Turkish defence establishment also has strong ties with the Pakistan Army.India, however, has of late been trying to step up its engagement with Turkey.The visit of INS Trikhand to Istanbul is intended to signalling India’s willingness to explore ways to step up defence cooperation with Turkey, particularly in maritime security.

Turkey has Black Sea to its north, the Mediterranean Sea to its south, and the Aegean Sea to its west. “The current visit seeks to underscore India’s peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly countries and to strengthen the existing bonds between India and Turkey,” the defence ministry said.

Officials said the bilateral naval relations are expected to be strengthened further due to the planned visit of a Turkish warship for the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in February next year. The INS Trikand, commanded by Captain Vinay Kalia, is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors capable of addressing threats in all the three dimensions—air, surface and sub-surface.