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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TURKEY NAVAL EXPANSION
HEADLINE: Turkey aims to become a major naval power, alarming neighbors
TEASER: In bid to project influence across the Mediterranean region and the Horn of Africa, Erdogan builds up Turkey’s navy
PUBLISHED AT: (Day of week & Time of Day)
BYLINE: Dorian Jones
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Istanbul
VIDEOGRAPHER: Agencies, Courtesy, Berke Bas DO NOT USE NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS.
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, Decherd
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA original, Reuters, AFP, Turkish Presidency, Hellenic Navy, Presidency Defense Industries, Turkish Defense Ministry.
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO _x_
TRT: 2:57
VID APPROVED BY: Baragona
TYPE: TV/R
UPDATE: Berke Bas DO NOT USE NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS.))
((INTRO))
[[Turkey is undertaking a massive expansion of its navy to make it one of Europe's largest naval powers. The buildup is alarming some of its neighbors, but Ankara insists it is purely defensive and meant to meet Turkey’s growing regional commitments. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.]]
((VIDEO SHOT: ERDOGAN))
((Mandatory cg.Turkish Presidency))
((NARRATOR))
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently commissioned Turkey's latest state-of-the-art submarine.
((VIDEO SHOT: CARRIER-Original
FRIGATE-Original))
((NARRATOR))
Along with a helicopter carrier, new frigates, and more than a dozen other warships under construction, these are part of Erdogan's drive to make the Turkish Navy among Europe's largest.
[[RADIO VERSION: Serhat Guvenc is a professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul.]]
((Serhat Guvenc, Kadir Has University - Male in English))
“It serves Erdogan's political agenda of, exerting influence overseas from Qatar to Somalia to Libya, so that fits his vision. For the navy, that means a greater role in the defense of the country, which is redefined, no longer territorial defense, but forward defense, from overseas.”
((VIDEO SHOT: SOMALIA-REUTERS))
((NARRATOR))
Turkey has military bases in Qatar, Libya, and Somalia, with which it has a naval agreement.
((VIDEO SHOT: WARSHIP ISTANBUL-original))
((NARRATOR))
Ankara says its naval expansion is part of addressing growing regional threats and helping meet its NATO commitments.
[[RADIO VERSION: Mesut Casin, a Turkish presidential adviser, is a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University.]]
((Mesut Casin, Presidential Adviser - Male in English)) ((via zoom))
“When you're looking at the ongoing picture, all the conflict points are around Turkey, in the Black Sea, in the Mediterranean, and also the Red Sea...
((CUTAWAY TURKISH WARSHIP ORIGINAL))
...As a result, we can say that the Turkish modernization of the now, of course, is beneficial for the NATO and security of the Western allies. And lastly, the security of the oil and also enhances the freedom of the navigation.”
((VIDEO SHOT: TURKISH WARSHIPS PARADE-AFP))
((NARRATOR))
But Turkey's growing naval prowess is causing concern among its neighbor, Greece, which has a number of territorial disputes in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
Israel, too, is expressing concern over Turkey's naval expansion...
((VIDEO SHOT: DRONES)) ((Mandatory cg. Turkish Defense Ministry))
...and the deployment of military drones or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in the Turkish-controlled north of Cyprus.
[[Radio: Gallia Lindenstrauss, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.]]
((Gallia Lindenstrauss, Institute for National Security Studies)) ((via Zoom))
“I think that some of this greater navy involvement and the greater military involvement in Northern Cyprus, this UAV base in Northern Cyprus, some of these things will also be directed against Israel and doesn't mean again there will be a direct confrontation, but it does mean that it is something that Israeli army has to calculate.”
((VIDEO SHOT: GREEK WARSHIP))
((Mandatory cg. Hellenic Navy))
((ISRAELI NAVY-Reuters))
((NARRATOR))
Greece, too, is modernizing its Navy, citing the Turkish threat.
Turkish analysts say Ankara is concerned over Israel's growing naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
[[RADIO VERSION: Again, Serhat Guvenc at Kadir Has University.]]
((Serhat Guvenc Kadir Has University)) ((male in English))
“It's a vicious circle because Turkey built a new navy in response to those emerging threats. Now, its neighbors are facing threats from Turkey's naval building. That's what we call arms races, and arms races do not end very well, unfortunately.”
((VIDEO SHOT: SHIPYARD))
((Mandatory cg. Presidency Defense Industries))
((WARSHIP-Original))
((NARRATOR))
Turkish shipyards are working at full capacity to meet the country's growing naval demands, which analysts say will likely only add to its neighbor's fears and suspicions over Ankara's intentions.
((Dorian Jones, for VOA News, Istanbul))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateSeptember 10, 2024 09:23 EDT
BylineDorian Jones
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
