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November 21, 2000

Turkey is reorganizing its naval forces to reflect the end of the Cold War and the increasing importance of the Mediterranean. Turkey now has the largest naval force in the Black Sea, and its Mediterranean forces rank behind only the US and France. After the main fleet command headquarters in Golcuk was devastated by the earthquake there, the Turks moved their main shipyard to Pendik (in Istanbul) and have begun a two-year construction program to build a new fleet operational headquarters at Izmir (effectively reorienting its naval forces from the north to the south). Black Sea forces will move to Sinope or Samsun. Mediterranean forces will move their main base from Izmir to Antalya. The main naval base will move from Golcuk to Aksaz in the southwest. The Navy's national command headquarters will remain in Istanbul.--Stephen V Cole