Turkish corvette TCG Kinaliada visits Alexandria Port in Egypt
TCG Kınalıada at the Alexandria Port in Egypt on 19 Aug. 2024. (Photo via Anadolu Agency)
The Turkish corvette TCG Kinaliada made a significant visit to Alexandria Port in Egypt, where it was greeted by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Sen.
The ambassador met with the ship’s captain, Lieutenant Colonel Serkan Dogan, and the ceremonial guard aboard the Turkish warship.
High-level visits and naval tours
The Turkish officials also toured the Egyptian Navy’s vessels, including the Gamal Abdel Nasser ship and the Mahrousa yacht.
During the visit, Deputy Director General of Defense and Security at the Turkish Ministry of National Defense Rear Admiral Dr. Refik Levent Tezcan, along with Ambassador Sen and Captain Dogan, paid courtesy visits to Alexandria Gov. Adm. Ahmed Khalid and Navy Commander Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Attoa.
During the tour of the Egyptian Navy vessels, Turkish Ambassador Sen said,”We examined the superior quality products of the Egyptian Navy manufacturing team, which produces various types of coast guard and fast special forces boats.” and added, “Turkish-made fast coast guard boats continue to operate successfully in Egyptian territorial waters.”
TCG Kınalıada’s visit highlights growing bilateral cooperation
A reception was held aboard the TCG Kinaliada, hosted by Ambassador Sen, which saw the attendance of Alexandria’s local officials, military authorities, and diplomatic mission representatives.
In his speech, Ambassador Sen highlighted the ship’s journey, noting, “Our military ship traveled to Japan to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Japan. On its return journey, it is making goodwill visits to friendly countries, including a recent visit to Qatar.”
The ambassador emphasized that the TCG Kinaliada, which measures approximately 100 meters in length, 14.4 meters in width, and weighs 2,465 tons, was named after an island in the Sea of Marmara.
He pointed out that the ship was built at the Istanbul Shipyard in 2016 and entered service in 2019. “The TCG Kınalıada is a product of the Turkish Defense Industry, both locally and nationally manufactured,” Şen stated, underlining that the visit was a gesture of friendship and brotherhood between Türkiye and Egypt.
Additionally, Ambassador Sen announced that temporary maritime training would be conducted between the Turkish TCG Kinaliada warship and the Egyptian Navy under the scope of the Northern Fleet.
Sen also recalled that Egyptian military ships visited Mersin following the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes in Türkiye, and expressed that such mutual visits would continue.
He emphasized that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, bilateral relations between the two countries continue to grow, encompassing areas such as economy, culture, tourism, industry, education, and health.
Finally, Ambassador Sen mentioned that during the upcoming High-Level Strategic Council meeting chaired by Presidents Erdoğan and Sisi, agreements in trade, economy, culture, and health would be signed.
