Blue Homeland 2025 Exercise and Turkey's Maritime Strategy

This week, the Turkish Naval Forces successfully completed the Blue Homeland 2025 exercise, which aimed to showcase strategic maritime objectives in the region and demonstrated great military capacity. The Blue Homeland doctrine, which laid the foundations of Turkey’s maritime strategy in 2019, symbolizes the country’s transformation from a land-based power to a naval power. This doctrine focuses on protecting the seas and increasing the power of the Turkish Naval Forces. The exercises once again showcase the Turkish Navy’s naval power and capability in military operations.

Blue Homeland 2025 Exercise Objectives and Participants

The aim of the Blue Homeland 2025 exercise was to test the command and control capabilities, operational readiness and the capacity to cooperate with other branches of the Turkish Naval Forces. The exercise also included the use of advanced naval platforms such as the MİLDEN National Submarine, a domestically designed aircraft carrier and the TF-2000 air defense warship as part of Turkey’s naval modernization. The exercise, which was conducted with 77 surface ships, 7 submarines, 31 aircraft, 17 helicopters, 28 unmanned aerial vehicles and 7 unmanned surface vehicles, was carried out with the participation of approximately 20.000 personnel. Other participating force commands also expanded the scope of the exercise and increased its realism. The Land Forces and Air Forces also supported the exercise with various air and land elements.

Geopolitical Dimension of the Exercise and Reactions of Greece and Israel

The Blue Homeland exercises carry not only technical but also political messages. They carry a meaning that emphasizes Turkey’s rights and sovereignty in maritime areas, especially regarding maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean. Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu from the United Arab Emirates states that this doctrine poses a major geopolitical threat, especially to Greece and Israel. Greece considers Turkey’s maritime claims as a threat to its continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights. For this reason, Greece is trying to balance Turkey’s influence in the region by cooperating with countries such as Israel, Egypt and France.

Modernization of the Turkish Navy and Future Plans

Within the framework of the Blue Homeland doctrine, Turkey’s naval modernization continues at a rapid pace. Istanbul Kent University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Mesut Özel states that Turkey aims to defend its sovereign rights, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, and to display a strong military stance against maritime disputes in the region. The construction of 31 ships in domestic shipyards and a total investment of $8 billion will shape the future operational power of the Turkish Naval Forces. With the new ships, the Turkish Navy is taking a step towards a strong future not only in terms of equipment but also technology.

Current Navy and Future Needs

The current fleet of the Turkish Navy consists of increasingly aging ships. The average age of frigates and submarines is 30 years. Retired Rear Admiral Cem Okyay emphasizes that these new ships will shape Turkey's naval power for the next 50 years. In this context, he states that it is necessary to ensure that the sensors and weapon systems on the ships are suitable for future operational needs.

Strategic Importance of the Blue Homeland

The Blue Homeland 2025 exercise once again demonstrated the Turkish Naval Forces’ strengthened naval power and determination to defend regional maritime rights. Strategic and geopolitical developments in the Eastern Mediterranean reveal the importance of Turkey’s maritime strategies. This strategy, which poses a threat to countries such as Greece and Israel, goes down in history as a critical step for Turkey to increase its naval power and protect its sovereign rights in the region.