The Turkish Parliament approved a government motion extending the mandate of Turkish Naval ships to partake in anti-piracy missions in Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, for one more year, Anadolu Agency reported.
The motion extends for one more year Turkish Navy's mandate to partake in international anti-piracy missions which would expire on February 10.
Speaking before the vote, Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul told lawmakers that 380 Turkish Cargo Ships passed from the Gulf of Aden each year, noting that Turkish frigates provided escort to Turkish vessels and secured safe passage against threat of piracy.
Gonul said 10 Turkish frigates served in the region so far, fending off two pirate boats and capturing 94 pirates in 15 operations.
Gonul said 5 Turkish flagged ships hijacked by Somalia pirates were all rescued, noting that no Turkish flagged ships were hijacked since 2004 thanks to the measures taken.
The National Defense Minister said Turkish vessels or other vessels related with Turkey, passing through the Gulf of Aden were monitored under the Piracy Monitoring System of the Turkish Maritime Authority.
TCG Giresun (F-491) is currently serving in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian sea.
Turkish naval ships serve under the CTF-151, an international naval task force, set up in response to piracy attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia.
CTF-151 operates in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia covering an area of approximately 1.1 million square miles. It is a multinational task force established in January 2009 under a United Nations Security Council resolution to conduct counterpiracy operations to actively deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in order to protect global maritime security and secure freedom of navigation for the benefit of all nations.
The command staff is composed of personnel from a number of coalition countries.
Every year around 33,000 ships cross the region where CTF-151 serves. 26 percent of all oil exports in the world go through the region. The region's contribution to the world economy is estimated to be around 380 billion USD.