Logistic Support Vessel was Launched by Selah Shipyard
“TCG Yüzbaşı Güngör Durmuş”, the first of the vessels, of which the tendering process started in 2013 toward fulfilling the logistic demands of the Turkish Naval Forces and containing the procurement of two fuel tankers, was launched to the sea with a ceremony held at Selah Shipyard in Tuzla. Prime Minister Mr. Binali Yıldırım, Minister of National Defense Mr. Fikri Işık, Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Mr. Ahmet Arslan, Commander of the Naval Forces Full Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu and many invitees attended the ceremony.
Addressing the participants at the ceremony, Commander of the Naval Forces Full Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu underlined that the Naval Forces – continuously existing at the world seas and contributing to the regional and world peace, is one of the oldest naval forces in the world and continued, “Our Naval Forces had experienced glorious victories and gone through hardship in our history of approximately a thousand years, yet achieved to survive these difficult times by gaining more strength. Despite recent developments, our naval forces are continuing to protect our interests in the world seas in a determined manner. Naval Forces’ combat readiness is at the top level and is prepared to conduct any tasks assigned.”
Full Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu “Our Speed and Capacity Efficiency will increase with the Logistic Support Vessels”
Mentioning that they took considerable steps toward increasing the logistic support force of the Turkish Naval Forces in recent years, Full Admiral Bostanoğlu added, “Within this context, we realized the project regarding the construction of two Logistic Support Vessels at the first stage. Soon we will initiate the procurement process of one Fleet Replenishment Vessel of a greater tonnage. In this way, an improvement of a great scale will have been achieved regarding the logistic support capability in terms of efficiency and flexibility of our Naval Forces as well as speed capacity.”
Underlining that the Logistic Support Vessels will have significant contribution to the Naval Forces with their superior characteristics, Full Admiral Oramiral Bostanoğlu continued, “This vessel equipped with superior features and a high level of domestic equipment and could fulfill the fuel, water and food requirements of our units and it is also capable of carrying containers designed in line with task requirements. Besides, our vessel will be able to protect itself from the asymmetrical threats and could conduct helicopter operation tasks if required. On the other hand, it will also have the facilities and capabilities for executing surgical interventions of small scales.”
MoD Fikri Işık: “Turkey is taking firm steps towards becoming an exporter of defense industry as well”
Taking the floor at the ceremony, Minister of Defense Mr. Fikri Işık emphasized that Turkey made crucial headway in respect to the defense industry and continued, “Our defense industry, which we initiated in order to fulfill our own requirements, is now covering the demands of the friendly and allied nations with the products it puts forth, and this fills us with pride. We recently signed a contract for the submarine modernization of the Pakistan Naval Forces. This success in export will increasingly continue in the upcoming period. Turkey is currently taking firm steps towards becoming an exporter country in respect to the defense industry. To this end, we started to market our national infantry rifle abroad as well. As a country, we are now focusing on the critical technologies which are difficult to procure from foreign countries, technologies that increase our foreign dependency. Our vessels and aircrafts will no longer remain at the shipyards or hangars due to the products that are hard to procure”.
Fikri Işık: “Our most important priority will be decreasing certain time-consuming bureaucratic mechanisms”
Mr. Işık expressed that they assessed the future of the programs, the procurement and development processes of which are ongoing, with the Turkish Armed Forces and continued, “We are conducting an intense study composed especially of the critical technologies. We evaluated what we have accomplished so far within the scope of the projects with the commanders of our forces. We identified the steps to be taken in the future. Our most important priority will be decreasing certain time-consuming bureaucratic mechanisms in the upcoming period. We no longer have patience for losing time in our projects. Now we aim a far stronger cooperation. For that matter, we attach great importance for TÜBİTAK and our private sector companies taking greater parts in R&D, our foundation companies working more on design and the private sector’s leadership in production. Without doubt, there will be intersecting areas and altogether we will put forth a productive activity. I believe that the time loss especially in Turkey’s defense industry projects will diminish by this.”
Addressing the guests at the ceremony, Prime Minister Mr. Binali Yıldırım said that they enthusiastically supported every project and each development contributing to the national defense while increasing Turkey’s power and added, “In our region with political instability and violence, we are exerting the greatest efforts for securing the peace and stability and providing balance and stability. To this end, we support the infrastructures, factories and shipyards established for the development of our country and all projects as well as all concrete steps emerging as a result of such investments. Our satisfaction increases as we witness the existence of our products in the field.”
Prime Minister Mr. Binali Yıldırım “We are launching the Incentives that will reinforce our Shipyards”
Giving important messages to the shipyards located in the Tuzla region, Prime Minister Yıldırım stated that they adopted certain measures and launched crucial support packages to ease the Turkish Maritime sector going through a worldwide narrowing. Yıldırım continued, “The construction plan of the Tuzla Shipyard Zone - which had been waiting for approval for 13 years - was approved in May 2016 and entered into force. We contributed to our shipyards by stopping the payment of 5 million TL that was needed to be paid by our shipyards for the zoning plan. Moreover, a discount of over 10 times the rental amount paid to the Treasury was also made. They used to pay an annual amount of around 40 million TL for rental; the principle of the payment of one thousandth of their turnover as the rental was adopted. In this way, this amount is decreased to the level of 3 million TL where they used to pay an amount of 40 million TL.”
Giving good news to the shipyard owners at the ceremony, Yıldırım expressed that the area in which the shipyards are located was rented to the Shipyards thirty years ago for 49 years and reminded that they had 18 years, he added “We adopted a resolution and we are extending this period. We increased the remaining 18 years period to 49 years. With the extension of this rental period, our shipyards will be able to plan their future in a better way and increase their loan credibility. Also through this extension the credit capacities of our shipyards will increase. With the help of this, our shipyards will have an additional 6 billion TL of credit volume.”
Yıldırım wished that the TCG “Yüzbaşı Güngör Durmuş” Vessel to increase the strength of the Turkish Naval Forces and said that it would conduct benevolent services to the defense of the country and thanked the personnel and engineers working on the construction of the vessel, to the members of the Naval Forces, the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry and Minister of National Defense Mr. Fikri Işık.
Under the leadership of the Turkish Prime Minister, the Defense Industry Executive Committee decided to start the negotiations within the scope of Logistic Support Vessels for the Turkish Naval Forces requirement with Selah Shipbuilding Industry Inc. The tender put forth by the SSM for the operational requirement of the Naval Forces Command in 6th May 2014 for 2 Logistic Support Ships (LSS) has won by Selah and the Supply Contract was signed in 24th November 2014. Following the launch of the first vessel to be delivered within the scope of the program, the second vessel is aimed to be launched to the sea within the second half of 2017.
These vessels’ missions can be defined as to supply food, water, clothes, equipment, ammunition, fuel, construction products, and staff and to provide medical assistance and ship maintenance and repair.
Measuring 102,29 m in length overall with a beam of 16,00 m; Logistic Support Vessel will be built according to Turkish Lloyd notation. Two main engines each power the vessel developing 1380 kW. Accommodation is furnished for 53 people. The vessel can carry 4.012 F-76 MDO, 394 JP5 Helicopter Fuel.
