Turkish Naval ship TCG Gemlik on goodwill visit
TCG GEMLIK, the flagship of the Turkish Navy, is in Colombo from
September 5-8 on a four day goodwill visit. Rear Admiral Sinan Ertugrul,
Commander of the Turkish Naval Maritime Task Group, is in command of the
task group along with 250 Naval personnel.
|
Rear Admiral Sinan Ertugrul, the Commander of Task Force 154
(CTF 154) the mission oriented Task Force engaged in Counter
Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden, called on Navy
Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake and exchanged
mementoes. |
RADN, Sinan Ertugrul is a highly decorated senior Naval officer from
the Turkish Navy whose awards include NATO meritorious Service Medal and
First Class Naval Merit of Spanish Armed Forces.
According to Hony. Consul General of Turkey in Sri Lanka Bharathi
Wijeratne, this visit is historical, as this is the first time a Turkish
naval ship is visiting Sri Lanka during the one hundred and four years
of consular relations between the two countries.
It is mentioned in the “Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon”
printed in 1907 the presence of a Turkish consulate in Colombo and Galle.
During the visit RADM. Sinan Ertugrul will meet the Commander of the
Western Naval area and senior officers of the Sri Lanka Navy. A wreath
laying ceremony at the war memorial near the Parliament complex will
take place.
This goodwill visit will further enhance the strong historical and
very cordial relations existing between the two countries and would be a
milestone to further strengthen the relations between the two Navies’ of
Sri Lanka and Turkey. |
