Turkey has unveiled plans for the ambitious “Blue Homeland 2025” military exercise, scheduled to take place from January 7 to 16, showcasing its resolve to safeguard its regional interests and maritime rights.
The exercise will cover the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean, involving an impressive array of assets: 87 surface vessels, seven submarines, seven unmanned naval platforms, 31 aircraft, 17 helicopters, 28 armed and unarmed drones, and 20,000 personnel, including specialized underwater attack and defense units.
Zeki Akturk, spokesperson for the Turkish Defense Ministry, emphasized the drill’s objectives: “Blue Homeland 2025 is designed to enhance our operational readiness, improve command and control effectiveness, and foster interoperability across our forces.”
Massive Drill Across Three Seas
The Blue Homeland Exercise, one of the largest drills conducted by the Turkish Navy, will be held simultaneously in the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean after three years. The Blue Homeland 2025 Exercise holds significance as it demonstrates and tests Turkey’s operational capabilities across three major seas simultaneously.
The exercise aims to carry out naval force readiness training, assess command and control effectiveness, and enhance joint interoperability. Domestically produced and developed systems, weapons, and munitions that have largely entered the inventory will be used in the exercise. Alongside the Navy, elements from the Turkish Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard Command will also participate, showcasing a demonstration of power across the three seas.
Preparations for a Counter-Exercise
Using the headline “Blue Homeland with 100 Warships,” the Greek newspaper Ta Nea referenced Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ planned visit to Ankara, likely in February. The newspaper stated that Turkey, emboldened by developments in Syria, feels more powerful and described the exercise as “provocative.”
According to Greek military sources cited by Ta Nea, Greek warships will monitor the movements of the Turkish navy during “Blue Homeland 2025.” Shortly after this exercise, a large-scale Greek naval exercise is expected to commence in the Aegean. Another Greek newspaper, Kathimerini, ran a front-page headline, “Ankara Kicks Off 2025 with ‘Blue Homeland’.”
Greek news websites also used headlines like “Blue Homeland Provocation,” “Turkey’s Show of Strength,” and “Turkey with 100 Warships in the Aegean.”