Turkish Naval Forces

This article is about the Naval Forces of the Republic of Turkey established in 1923. For the Turkish Navy in the Ottoman period, see Ottoman Navy.

Turkish Naval Forces
Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri
Türk Donanması
Seal of the Turkish Navy
Founded
  • 10 July 1920 (as the Directorate of Naval Affairs)[1]
  • 1 July 1949 (as the Turkish Naval Forces Command)[2]
Country Turkey
TypeNavy
RoleNaval warfare
Size45,000 active personnel[3]
55,000 reserve personnel[3]
Part ofTurkish Armed Forces
HeadquartersAnkara
Motto(s)"Always Ready"
Colors
  •   Blue
  •   Gold
  •   White
MarchTurkish Navy March Playⓘ
Anniversaries27 September[1]
EquipmentList of equipment of the Turkish Naval Forces
List of active ships of the Turkish Naval Forces
Websitewww.dzkk.tsk.tr/en-US
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefPresident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Minister of National DefenceYaşar Güler
Chief of the General StaffGeneral Metin Gürak
CommanderAdmiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu
Chief of Staff of Turkish Naval ForcesVice Admiral İbrahim Özdem Koçer
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Naval Aviation Roundel
Masthead Pennant
Turkish Naval Forces
Components
History
Special Forces
Equipment
Turkish Armed Forces
Leadership
Branches
History
Special Forces
Member of
Current foreign deployments and missions

The Turkish Naval Forces (Turkish: Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Navy (Turkish: Türk Donanması), is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.

The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was established as the Directorate of Naval Affairs during the Turkish War of Independence led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Since July 1949, the service has been officially known as the Turkish Naval Forces.

In 2008, the Turkish Navy had a reported active personnel strength of 48,600; this figure included an Amphibious Marines Brigade as well as several Special Forces and Commando detachments.[4] As of early 2021, the navy operates a wide variety of ships and 60 maritime aircraft.

  1. ^ a b History of Turkish Naval Forces (Official Turkish Naval Forces website)
  2. ^ 1949 Temmuzunda Türk Silâhlı Kuvvetleri yeniden örgütlendirilerek, Genelkurmay Başkanlığına bağlı Kara, Deniz, Hava Kuvvetleri kuruldu., Genelkurmay Başkanlığı, Türk Tarihi, Silahlı Kuvvetleri ve Atatürkçülük, Genelkurmay Başkanlığı, 1973, p. 65. (in Turkish)
  3. ^ a b International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. p. 141. ISBN 9781032508955.
  4. ^ Library of Congress – Federal Research Division (August 2008), Country Profile: Turkey (PDF), pp. 25–26