Turkish Coast Guard

The Turkish Coast Guard (Ottoman Turkish: "Rusumet Emaneti Teşkilatı", Turkish: "Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı") is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces and was established in 1859. Affiliated with the Guarding Administration (Ottoman Turkish: "Muhafaza Memurluğu"), the Coast Guard was responsible in controlling the coasts and fighting smuggling. During peace time, the Coast Guard it is under the command of the Turkish Interior Ministry, however, during emergency and war time it falls under the command of the Turkish Navy. The coast guard is organized into four area commands: the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and adjacent straits, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.

With a personnel strength of about 1,100, the coast guard is responsible for maintaining the security of the coast and territorial waters, and in the Aegean Sea of which the boundaries are under dispute with Greece. The Coast guard is also responsible of search and rescue (SAR) operations, and for protecting the marine environment

Surface patrols are carried out by 52 patrol vessels and smaller craft. The most effective of these are 14 search-and-rescue vessels (220 tons) of Turkish design. Smaller 150 ton and 70 ton patrol boats of German design were nearing obsolescence in the mid 1990s. An ambitious construction plan foresaw a major strengthening of the service with eight new vessels of 350 - 400 tons and 48 ships of 180 - 300 tons.

Mission

Coast Guard Command is a security service, established on 09 July 1982 by Act.2692, with the purpose of performing missions such as; providing the security of Turkish coasts, territorial waters and inland waters such as the Marmara Sea, Istanbul and Çanakkale Straits, ports and harbors and exercising such rights and powers where Turkey exercises sovereign rights under the rules of both national and international laws at sea areas which fall outside the scope of the general responsibility of the Turkish Naval Forces and to prevent and pursue all kinds of smuggling activities carried out by way of sea.The missions, Coast Guard Command was charged with by Act. 2692 are;

*To protect and provide the security of our coasts and territorial waters,
*To provide the safety of life and property at sea.
*To take necessary measures for untethered mines, explosives and suspicious material identified in the sea and on the coast and report them to the authorities concerned.
*To observe and inspect the operating conditions of the aids-to-navigation and report the deficiencies observed to the authorities concerned,
*To disarm the refugees entering into our territorial waters and deliver them to the authorities concerned.
*To prevent all kinds of smuggling carried out by way of sea.
*To prevent the actions of the vessels and sea craft in violation of the laws on radio hygine, passport, anchoring, mooring, fishing, diving and hoisting the flag.
*To inspect the fishing of aquatic products,
*To conduct inspections in order to prevent the marine pollution.
*To prevent the smuggling on antiquities by conducting inspections on diving activities.
*To perform search and recue missions within the search and rescue area of Turkey, in conformity with the International Search and Rescue Convention and National Search and Rescue Regulations.
*To inspect the yacht tourism,
*To participate in the operations conducted for the security of homeland under the command of the Naval Forces, when so ordered.

Fleet

CG BOATS

*Sirio Class Large Patrol Craft (1700 Ton) [ [http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=64160 turkish daily news] ] [ [http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?prod=77921&session=dae.24384804.1169559262.RbYO3sOa9dUAAEFlIGk&modele=release defense-aerospace] ]
*Large Patrol Craft (195 Ton)
*Large Patrol Craft (180 Ton)
*Kaan-33 Class Boats
*Kaan-29 Class Boats
*Kaan-15 Class Boats
*Sar-35 Class Boats
*Sar-33 Class Boats
*70 Ton Boats
*Fiber Coastal Patrol Craft
*Wooden Coastal Patrol Craft
*Metal Coastal Patrol Craft
*CG Control Boats
*KEGAK (Coastal Safety and Salvage) Teams
*SAGET (Coast Guard and Safety) Teams

AIRCRAFT

* 8 AB-412 EP Helicopter ( 5 on order)
* 3 CASA CN-235 Aircraft

External links

* [http://www.tsk.mil.tr/eng/index.htm Official Turkish Armed Forces website]
*tr [http://www.sgk.tsk.mil.tr/ Official Turkish Coast Guard Website]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/turkey/sgk.htm globalsecurity.org]

References and notes

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