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NATO forces take part in mine warfare exercise in Turkey

ISTANBUL, Nov 25 (KUNA) -- NUSRET-2017 drills kicked off in the Gulf of Saros on Saturday with the participation of naval, air and coast guard forces from Turkey and NATO member states as well as other observer countries.
The mine warfare exercise, named after the famous minelayer Nusret, takes place in Canakkale and the Gulf of Saros on an annual basis, commander of Turkey's Mine Warfare Group Command told reporters.
This year it is being held in the Gulf of Saros in Gallipoli Peninsula, north the Aegean Sea, northwest Turkey, until December 3, with the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group II (SNMCMG2) taking part, he said.
The aim of the exercise is to provide training for the planning and execution of mine warfare and to improve the interoperability in mine warfare, between warships from participant countries.
Turkish Armed Forces will take part with six mine hunters, one minelayer/command ship, one frigate, one patrol boat, one mine retriever, one Coast Guard vessels, one naval explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team, one helicopter, two F-16C fighters and one C-130 cargo plane.
Bulgaria participates in one mine warfare ship. Greece and Qatar will each deploy an EOD team in addition to similar teams from Azerbaijan, Algeria, Romania and Slovenia.
The exercise takes place amid strains between the two sides after Turkey had to pull out from NATO's Trident Javelin exercise in Norway on November 16 due to inappropriate depiction by a Norwegian official of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk as hostile targets. (end) ta.gb