Turkish naval ship to be sledged in Pakistan

ANKARA

The third Turkish anti-submarine class ship for Pakistan will be sledged Sunday, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.

Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar will attend a ceremony in Karachi, according to a statement.

It said constructions of two corvettes in Turkey and two in Pakistan will continue as part of Turkey’s national warship MILGEM project.

Despite the novel coronavirus, the first ship is slated to be delivered to Pakistan in 2023 in line with its schedule.

The Pakistan Navy signed a contract with Turkey’s military factory and shipyard corporation, ASFAT, in July 2018 to acquire four MILGEM-class ships.

In October 2019, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with Pakistan Navy chief Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, cut the first metal plate of the first corvette during a ceremony in Istanbul.

Turkey is one of the 10 countries which can build, design and maintain warships using its national capabilities.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar