TCG DERYA, one of the largest support platforms of the Turkish Naval Forces built with domestic and national capabilities, demonstrated its logistics strength and multi-role mission capabilities during the Denizkurdu-2/2026 Exercise. As the Turkish Navy’s second-largest ship after TCG ANADOLU, the replenishment and combat support ship joined the exercise from Aksaz Naval Base in Muğla.

The exercise was conducted in the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. Throughout the activity, TCG DERYA attracted attention with its operational capability, training activities, onboard living conditions and ability to support naval task groups at sea.

As part of the exercise, TCG DERYA met with the TCG BARBAROS frigate in open waters and successfully carried out a fuel replenishment activity lasting about one hour. This operation once again demonstrated the critical importance of underway replenishment, which allows warships to continue their missions without returning to port. TCG DERYA’s ability to store and transfer fuel, provisions, torpedoes and guided munitions contributes directly to the uninterrupted operational effectiveness of naval task forces.

The ship’s medical capabilities were also tested during the Denizkurdu-2/2026 Exercise. According to the scenario, an injured personnel member was evacuated to TCG DERYA by helicopter and treated in the ship’s NATO-standard Role-2 level hospital. The presence of an operating room, intensive care unit, laboratory, dental treatment unit and burn treatment unit shows that the platform can play an important role not only in military operations, but also in disaster response, emergency evacuation and humanitarian assistance missions.

TCG DERYA Commander Naval Colonel Bülent Selimoğlu emphasized that the ship is entirely the product of Turkish engineering. Built in Turkish shipyards with domestic and national capabilities, TCG DERYA entered the inventory of the Turkish Naval Forces on January 19, 2024. According to Selimoğlu, the ship can reach a speed of 24 knots despite its 200-meter length, 24-meter beam and 26,000-ton displacement. With these characteristics, TCG DERYA stands out as a fast and multi-purpose platform among similar logistics support ships in world navies.

The ship’s self-defense capability was also among the key elements highlighted during the exercise. TCG DERYA is equipped with the GÖKDENİZ close-in air defense system and STOP stabilized gun systems developed by Turkish engineers. These systems provide the platform with a higher level of protection against air and surface threats while conducting replenishment and logistics support missions at sea. Thus, TCG DERYA serves not only as a support ship, but also as a powerful combat support asset capable of ensuring its own security in challenging operational environments.

TCG DERYA’s capabilities directly contribute to the Turkish Naval Forces’ vision of conducting uninterrupted missions in all seas, especially within the “Blue Homeland” concept. The ship has recently demonstrated its effectiveness in international missions by providing logistics support to allied elements in the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Its ability to support the future national aircraft carrier, which is currently under construction, is also considered a strategic factor that will further strengthen the Turkish Navy’s blue-water operational capability.