Article Posted on : - Jul 07, 2011

NEW DELHI (PTI): Enhancing their defence ties, Navies of India and Turkey will engage each other in two-day wargames off the coast of Mumbai starting Sunday.

"Four ships of the Turkish Navy will arrive at the Mumbai port Thursday as part of their deployment in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) and will participate in the two day exercise with us," Navy officials said here.

The four ships are part of the Combined Task Force 151 anti-piracy coalition and have been deployed in the Gulf of Aden.

After the port call, the Turkish ships will take part in the passage exercise on July 10 where the two sides will undertake anti-submarine warfare and coordinated attack drills, they said.

The Turkish Navy contingent includes three frigates including TCG Barbaros and TCG Geliboli along with the tanker TCG YBK Gangur and is coming to India after their deployment in Karachi.

The Indian Navy will field its destroyer INS Mumbai along with Beas class frigates INS Brahmputra and INS Betwa.

The exercise is taking place soon after Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma visited Turkey for four days last month.

Navy sources said Turkey has a strong shipping industry and there is great potential for partnership between the two countries in areas of shipbuilding.