Another glorious page in Turkish naval tradition: from "Malta Yok" to the "F494 Gokceada" Kenya fiasco

Fast action saves port from shipping crisis

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000019785&cid=464&

Published on 06/Oct./2010 

By Patrick Beja
There was panic in the maritime industry this week when a naval ship hit a heap of sand and got stuck at Mombasa port entrance.
In the 9.30 am incident, on Monday, authorities moved quickly to rescue the vessel as they feared it could sink and block the main shipping lane or spill oil and damage the delicate marine environment.

The Turkish vessel christened Gokceada touched ground off Mama Ngina drive at about 10 am as it sailed off, catching maritime authorities off guard.
Five tug-boats including an anti-pollution vessel were dispatched to the scene to rescue the naval vessel labelled F494.
After about an hour of rescue, the naval ship was towed back to the port where it has stayed for four days taking supplies.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) harbour master Captain Twalib Khamis confirmed the incident and said the ship developed some mechanical problems.
He, however, said the ship was not damaged. It was reportedly sailing out to Dar es Salaam port. "The ship has been taken back to the port for checks and will sail out later," Captain Khamis explained.
Rescue operations
During the towing, a KPA tug Simba II pushed from behind, while another christened El-Lamy was in the front pulling. The tugs were tied to the naval vessel with a chain.
The naval vessel is part of many others protecting shipping off the Coast of Somalia from pirate attacks. Maritime sources said the ship would have caused a major shipping crisis if it sunk on the spot as that was the entrance to the port.
"The channel is narrow and the naval ship could have blocked other ships if the rescue mission could have delayed," said the source.
The incident served as a reminder of another incident early this year in which a ship sent panic in maritime authority after it leant to one side. Hundreds of onlookers gathered on both sides of the Kilindini channel to watch the mishap as many feared it could sink and block the shipping route.
A fortnight ago, Transport minister Mr Amos Kimunya told maritime stakeholders in Mombasa that the construction of Lamu port was urgent because the Kilindini channel leading to Mombasa port was narrow and could lead to a shipping disaster if blocked accidentally by a ship.
The minister said since Kenya served landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, it was necessary to get an alternative seaport at Lamu.

read also: 
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?187332-Turkish-frigate-F-492-TCG-G%F6k%E7eada-hit-a-heap-of-sand-and-got-stuck-at-Mombasa-port
and leave comments here:
http://www.topix.com/news/pirates/2010/10/fast-action-saves-port-from-shipping-crisis

Παιδιά, δεν κάνετε για θάλασσα: από το Malta Yok στην κολλημένη Τούρκικη φρεγάτα F-494 Gokceada στην Κένυα!

Πέμπτη, 7 Οκτωβρίου 2010

Η επίδειξη υψηλής ναυτοσύνης του Τουρκικού Ναυτικού πλέον λαμβάνει διαστάσεις διεθνούς φαινομένου.

Πρωταγωνιστής του περιστατικού το οποίο έλαβε χώρα στις 9.30 το πρωί της Δευτέρας (4/10) στο λιμάνι της Μομπάσα στην Κένυα, δεν είναι άλλος παρα η τουρκική φρεγάτα F-494 Gokceada, η οποία μετά απο άστοχο χειρισμό του καπετάνιου προσάραξε σε ύφαλο στην είσοδο του λιμανιού μπλοκάροντας την θαλάσσια οδό προσωρινά. Το περιστατικό σήμανε την άμεση κινητοποίηση των Κενυατικών αρχών οι οποίες φοβούμενες οτι το σκάφος μπορούσε να βυθιστεί φράσσοντας την είσοδο στο κύριο λιμάνι της χώρας απέστειλαν ταχύτατα 5 ρυμουλκά και ένα αντιρυπαντικό σκάφος, τα οποία μετά από συντονισμένες προσπάθειες μιας ώρας κατάφεραν να ξεκολλήσουν το σκάφος και να το ρυμουλκήσουν πάλι στο λιμάνι.
Ο λιμενάρχης Captain Twalib Khamis επιβεβαίωσε ότι η φρεγάτα παρουσίασε μηχανικά προβλήματα άγνωστης έκτασης, λόγω της πρόσκρουσης. Η F-494 επέστρεφε στις περιπολίες της ανοιχτά της Σομαλίας μετά απο μια παραμονή 4 ημερών στο λιμάνι όταν "έγινε το κακό".. Το περιστατικό θυμίζει έντονα παλαιότερα "κατορθώματα" του Τουρκικού Ναυτικού,όπως τις προσαράξεις των F-501 Bodrum και F-240 Yavuz σε Μεγίστη και Κω αντίστοιχα.

Turkey eyes link between flotilla and PKK

UPI - Special Reports
June 7, 2010
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/06/07/Turkey-eyes-link-between-flotilla-and-PKK/UPI-54231275934538/


ANKARA, Turkey, June 7 (UPI) -- There is a possible connection between the Israeli raid on a Turkish-flagged vessel and Kurdish militants, Turkish intelligence officials speculate.

Militants with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, stormed a Turkish naval base May 31 in the port city of Iskenderun, killing six Turkish soldiers in the attack. On the same day, nine Turkish nationals were killed when Israeli forces raided a vessel said to be delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Sedat Laciner, a director at Ankara's International Strategic Research Organization, told the Turkish daily newspaper Today's Zaman that the two episodes may be connected.

He said there is growing speculation that Israeli intelligence officials have worked with the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan, or PJAK. PJAK is affiliated with the blacklisted PKK.

Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party, suggested the Iskenderun raid and the flotilla incident were connected.

"We don't think the incident (Iskenderun attack) was coincidental," he said.

Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay told Cabinet officials last week that recent events required a "delicate" approach, adding Ankara needed to avoid making "careless statements."