ISTANBUL - The Black Sea Partnership-2004 exercise has started in Istanbul.
Holding a press conference aboard the flag-ship TCG Yavuz from the Turkish Naval Forces on Saturday, First Battle Fleet Commodore Senior Captain Fikret Gunes said that the exercise would be performed in Western Black Sea region of Istanbul and Black Sea Eregli.
Gunes said that the exercise aimed to develop relations and training activities between the Black Sea countries and to support the activities within the scope of the Partnership for Peace.
One frigate, two corvettes, three assault boats, two mine-detecting ships, one submarine, one subsidiary class ship and one helicopter from the Turkish Naval Forces, Turkish Air Forces planes and one ship from each of the participating countries Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Ukraine naval forces will take part in the exercise.
Search and rescue operations, different sea training, target practices and harbor training will be performed in the exercise.
The ships will stay in Istanbul until April 5, and they will visit the Black Sea Eregli harbor between April 7 and 9, 2004.
The exercise will end on April 9.
Gunes added that observer officers from Azerbaijan would also attend the exercise in which nearly one thousand personnel would take part.
(UK-MS) 03.04.2004