According to the official statement published by the Turkish Ministry of Defense on Platform X, the donated TCG Volkan ship is currently undergoing comprehensive maintenance at the Naval Shipyard in Istanbul. The unit is not new, since 1984 it has been used by Turkish naval forces. After the maintenance and modernization, Volkan will be delivered to the Maldives aboard the Turkish landing ship.
Although the formal transfer is scheduled for June, Maldivian sailors who will serve in Volkanie, they have been training in Turkey for several days.
TCG Volkan was designed by the German company Lurssen Werft and was the first ship in the Turkish fleet equipped with Harpoon anti -ship missiles. In recent years, it has been used mainly to test weapons and training goals.
In the Maldivian social media, there were reports suggesting that the government in Male could agree to the transfer of Turkey to the construction of a sea base or other assets in exchange for this donation. The government, according to the Atoll Times, officially did not officially commented on these reports.
In the past several months, the Maldives have expanded their defensive connections with Turkey. President Mohamed Muzzu in December 2023 made a state visit to Turkey for the first time. It was after this journey that the Maldives bought combat drones, for which a special air body was now created on the island.
Deterioration of Indian-Moldian relations
The Turkish policy of increasing influence in the Indian Ocean, historically dominated by India, but also in the field of China's interest, is not accidentally, because it coincides with the rapid deterioration of Indian-Moldian relations.
Recreation in bilateral relations began at the beginning of 2024, when several Maldivian officials publicly delivered dismissive comments on the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. New Delhi reacted on social media with a boycott of tourist trips to Maldives. The government in little tried desperately to stop the severe effects of these tensions for the budget; He suspended the guilty officials and issued a public statement in which he distanced himself from non -agricultural comments.
When it seemed that the negative emotions fell, another blow was inflicted by President Muzzu. Commonly perceived as a supporter of Beijing, he called India to withdraw his military staff, stationed for decades in the Maldives. India gave way, which Türkiye eagerly used.
