Tanzanians impressed by Turkish warships
Tanzanian citizens were allowed on board on Thursday to get acquainted with the military equipment of the Turkish warships as part of a military exhibition staged on the sidelines of the Maritime Task Group Barbaros (TMTG)'s visit to the East African country.
“We are happy,” Juma Selemani, a Dar es Salaam citizen, told Anadolu Agency as he toured one of the warships.
“Turkey has very powerful warships with strong military equipment,” he added.
Steven Tarimo, who also took the tour, was equally impressed. ‘’it is very nice to see our friends from Turkey with such very powerful warships. It makes us feel safe,” he said.
For his part, David Lukumay, a retired police officer, called for enhanced military cooperation between his country and Turkey. ‘’We want our country to boost its military relationship with such a strong country like Turkey,” he said.
The warship exhibition would run until Friday before the vessels would engage in a joint training exercise with the Tanzanian Navy forces.
The Task Group comprises of two frigates, a corvette and a replenishment tanker.
The Turkish warships are on a 102-day tour, which will cover 15,000 nautical miles and include 27 countries. It is scheduled to wrap up on June 27.
Turkish Ambassador to Tanzania Ali Dovitoglu told AA earlier that the main objective of the tour is to promote military cooperation between the Turkish army and the armies of African countries and help in various military operations in Africa, including the fight against piracy in Indian Ocean.
The warships passed by the Cape of Good Hope earlier in May for the first time in nearly 150 years.
The Turkish navy last crossed the Cape of Good Hope 148 years ago with two Ottoman corvettes, which were in charge of guarding Ottoman pilgrims.
Since then the Suez Canal has been the preferred route.
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