Turkey, Italy conduct joint naval drill in Mediterranean

Turkish and Italian submarines conducted a joint maritime drill in the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Monday.

“Two Navies having the most effective submarine force in the Mediterranean, continue to improve the interoperability with maritime trainings,” the ministry said in a tweet, adding that the naval training took place on Saturday.

Italian and Turkish submarines have conducted maritime trainings in the Mediterranean on 13 June 2020. Two Navies having the most effective submarine force in the Mediterranean, continue to improve the interoperability with maritime trainings. https://t.co/LX9FCIaKQb

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) June 15, 2020

Turkish-Italian relations appear to have strengthened after Turkey’s intelligence service played a role in the rescue of a kidnapped Italian aid worker in Somalia.

Italy has also refused to condemn Turkey’s territorial claims in the Eastern Mediterranean, which has erupted into an ongoing dispute between Ankara and a group of countries in the region looking to capitalise on offshore gas and oil.