Turkey offers five ships, submarine for Libya Operations

[Saithan]

Turkey has offered to contribute five warships and a submarine to international operations in Libya, assets it has stipulated will be used solely for humanitarian and defense purposes, NATO officials said Wednesday.

The Turkish government will seek parliamentary authorization Thursday to send troops and military equipments abroad despite ongoing debate over NATO’s role in implementing the no-fly zone over Libya.

No further information was available about the scope of the parliamentary motion, leaving the prospect unclear of potential Turkish participation in air patrols of the no-fly zone.

NATO has received offers from six countries for up to 16 vessels to prevent weapons from entering Libya, Gen. Pierre St-Amand told a news briefing. According to the NATO general, Turkey has offered a submarine, four frigates and one auxiliary ship.

The move came a day before an important visit from Brussels to Ankara, with NATO’s top European commander set to pay a visit to the Turkish capital amid Turkey’s insistence that it will block the alliance from assuming responsibility for maintaining the no-fly-zone unless certain conditions are met.

The visit by Adm. James Stavridis, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, was scheduled before the Libyan crisis broke out, but current events would likely be on the agenda, a Turkish diplomatic source told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Wednesday.

Secret session set for Thursday

Parliament is expected to hold a closed session Thursday at 2 p.m. with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu briefing lawmakers. The government has a clear majority in getting approval from Parliament but on Wednesday it began briefing the opposition parties about the government’s stance on an operation in Libya.

“We informed the opposition about Turkey’s Middle East policy, our vision and the background of our stance,” Davutoğlu told reporters after meeting with Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Davutoğlu, accompanied by his Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Ambassador Tacan İldem, executive assistant Gürcan Balık and adviser Ali Sarıkaya, held a “comprehensive” meeting with the CHP chief for almost two hours at party headquarters. Kılıçdaroğlu was accompanied by deputy party leaders Osman Korutürk and Gülsün Bilgehan, deputies Akif Hamzaçebi, Hüseyin Pazarcı and the party leader’s adviser Faruk Loğoğlu.

The foreign minister told Kılıçdaroğlu that “the proposals laid down by the CHP are what the government is already implementing,” it has been learned. Davutoğlu also said a land operation was not on the agenda, explaining that the U.N. Security Council Resolution authorizing the no-fly zone ruled out such an option.

“The Security Council should reconvene and adopt a different resolution for a land operation. We are against this,” Davutoğlu told the CHP leader. He informed Kılıçdaroğlu that Turkey would only join a humanitarian assistance program under a NATO mission.

“We are going through such important times that the steps that we’ll take and the messages that we will give are very important for Turkey’s global influence,” Davutoğlu told reporters after the meeting. He said a process of change was taking place in the Middle East, something that brought opportunities but also serious risks.

Davutoğlu said he briefed the CHP leader not only about the latest developments in Libya but also Turkey’s Middle East policy and events in Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain.

The foreign minister will meet Thursday with the leaders of the Democrat Party, or DP, and the Democratic Left Party, or DSP.

Gül: Some countries are opportunist

On Wednesday, President Abdullah Gül said some countries were behaving opportunistically regarding the developments in Libya, apparently referring to France taking the lead role in military operations. The president also called on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step down to prevent more bloodshed in the country.

“It is important for Turkey that the situation in Libya ends without further bloodshed. Those who run Libya must step down immediately to ward off plunderers,” Gül told reporters before his departure for Ghana.

“Remember Saddam [Hussein’s] behavior and what has unfolded in Iraq ... That might somehow occur again in Libya,” he said.

Source: Turkey offers five ships, submarine for Libya - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review

 

[azfar]

are they gone their nuts?

 

[TOPGUN]

Some times i my self question our muslim brothers / ( Nations) always playing the follower never the leader and in this case other then Turkey you got some Arab states also willing to lay a hand in to bombing Libya what a shame .. shame on these nations for such actions makes me sick.

 

[ovarel]

its for weapon smuggling,no big deal.

 

[Ahmad]

Some times i my self question our muslim brothers / ( Nations) always playing the follower never the leader and in this case other then Turkey you got some Arab states also willing to lay a hand in to bombing Libya what a shame .. shame on these nations for such actions makes me sick.

but dont you see that qazafi is killing his own people?

 

[ovarel]

but dont you see that qazafi is killing his own people?

people started to have sympathy for gaddafi because of the western arrogance.

Turkey's stance is clear: Erdo

 

[BATMAN]

but dont you see that qazafi is killing his own people?

Please show us.

 

[Jigs]

Some times i my self question our muslim brothers / ( Nations) always playing the follower never the leader and in this case other then Turkey you got some Arab states also willing to lay a hand in to bombing Libya what a shame .. shame on these nations for such actions makes me sick.

We are part of NATO. There is a dictator that is killing his people. He needs to be stopped.

 

[American Eagle]

"Western arrogance" is a foolish term to perpetuate. The UN Security Council and separately the Arab League asked the civilized world to stop the slaughter Ghadafi had begun in Libya.

 

[ovarel]

"Western arrogance" is a foolish term to perpetuate. The UN Security Council and separately the Arab League asked the civilized world to stop the slaughter Ghadafi had begun in Libya.

nope,joe,its accurate..Arab League is unhappy with the bombings,they supported only "no-fly zone".now the west wants non-western participation to legitimize it..people around the world suspect that it is a humanitarian mission..

yes,gaddafi must be stopped but its important how you conduct it..

 

[Vassnti]

nope,joe,its accurate..Arab League is unhappy with the bombings,they supported only "no-fly zone".now the west wants non-western participation to legitimize it..people around the world suspect that it is a humanitarian mission..

yes,gaddafi must be stopped but its important how you conduct it..

No the arab legue is unhappy because they are gutless, they were told what a no fly zone entailed they demanded it be done the cry about it afterwards. Amazing it has taken only two generations to go from being fierce respected warriors to scared children with balls like grapes.

Its the old pattern of arab and Pakistani politicians, they say one thing to your face then another the same afternoon at the press conference.

To conduct a "no fly zone" you take out communications, you take out radar, you take out aa emplacements, you dont do that by sending a polite letter asking them to please turn the radars off. The arabs knew there would be bombing they still demanded it then chicken out and lie about the reason.

At least Turkey has the corage to do what is right.

 

[Jigs]

Bosphorus Naval News

The exact break up of ships as follows

Turkish Navy To Help NATO Enforce Libya Embargo
According to Reuters, Turkey agreed to provide 4 frigates, one submarine and one support ship to NATO, so that NATO can enforce the arms embargo imposed on Libya.

The alliance had offers of 16 ships to implement a decision to launch the mission taken by NATO this week, NATO military officer Brigadier Pierre St Amand told a news briefing

He said the ships included a command-and-control ship from Italy; 10 frigates -- including four from Turkey and one each from Britain, Spain, Greece, Italy, Canada and the United States; submarines from Spain, Italy and Turkey; and auxiliary ships from Italy and Turkey.

St Amand said the NATO mission was authorized to use armed force to enforce the embargo.While agreeing to enforce the arms embargo, NATO nations have yet to agree to take part in a no-fly zone over and whether the alliance should have a leading role in the international mission.

Turkey, a Muslim state and a NATO member, says the air campaign over Libya led by France, the United States and Britain has already gone beyond the scope of last week's U.N. Security Council resolution. There was no immediate word of whether Ankara would accept a compromise at NATO on 23 March 2011, Wednesday.

 

[TOPGUN]

We are part of NATO. There is a dictator that is killing his people. He needs to be stopped.

It doesn't matter don't give me that BS still no one put a gun to your pres 's head these are other muslims your country is now willing to kill ever thought of that always point a finger at your self before pointing at others a good pointer for you ... you might learn something.

 

[TOPGUN]

but dont you see that qazafi is killing his own people?

No i don't see jack i know he needs to go but anyhow none of us have proof of such acts.. can you proof it?

 

[Jigs]

It doesn't matter don't give me that BS still no one put a gun to your pres 's head these are other muslims your country is now willing to kill ever thought of that always point a finger at your self before pointing at others a good pointer for you ... you might learn something.

The people being Muslim have nothing to do with the issue at hand stop bringing religion into everything like it is a trump card to justify NATO as the bad guy. This is NATO led arms embargo on Libya so Gaddafi doesn't get arms. Turkey is providing ships for this reason and this is also what the rebels and Arab league wanted(they supported the no fly zone which requires you destroy assets of the country to enforce such as SAM networks). You do know we also evacuated close to 25,000 people including thousands of nationals out of the country right ? That we lead efforts in educating and helping the people of Afghanistan and have 1,800 troops there to enforce security and support ISAF reconstruction efforts.

Get your emotions under control and make rational points. The fact that you criticize the only Muslim majority nation doing anything around here and overlooking Gaddafi killing thousands in a effort to hold power shows your points are mute and hypocritical. He even said he would hunt down and execute every opposition member and used the ceasefire to attack the rebels in a effort to stop their advance.