Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar answered journalists' questions after the Cabinet Meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Reminding the mines destroyed after they were detected off the Bosphorus, Minister Akar, when asked about the measures taken, drew attention to the fact that the fight against mines is a technical issue.
Emphasizing that the fight against mines is within the scope of the work and concept of the Turkish Armed Forces, Minister Akar said, “Our mine hunting ships and maritime patrol planes are all on the alert. Every report received is immediately evaluated and necessary action is taken. Detected mines are safely destroyed instantly. ” he said.
When asked about the number of mines that were said to have been broken, Minister Akar said, “There are contradictory statements on the subject. We have taken the necessary measures, and we continue to take them.” gave the answer.
On the question of where the mines came from and their source, Minister Akar said, “Whether the mines laid in Ukraine came or whether other mines came into play, it would not be right to say anything without being sure about it. Our work on this continues.” said.
Noting that all seafarers were warned about the issue and NOTMAR was published, Minister Akar said:
“Everyone's eyes are on possible mines that can be seen. It intervenes immediately after detection. For intervention, SAS teams are transferred to the region either by sea or by air helicopter. The mines are destroyed instantly, either in situ or by retreating to a safe zone. Fighting mines is an issue dominated and successful by the Turkish Armed Forces. Thankfully, everyone saw that we were extremely successful in these efforts.”
Minister Akar, "Is there a cooperation with Russia on the detection of mines?" When asked, “No. The mines are detected in our area, not on the Russian or Ukrainian side. In this context, we have cooperation with Romania and Bulgaria, which have a coast on the Black Sea. Our cooperation with Russia is different. We made the necessary coordination with the Russians regarding the arrival of our merchant ships.” he said.
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