Turkey to build 2 training warships for Qatar navy

By Goksel Yildirim and Mustafa Calkaya

DOHA

Turkey's Anadolu Shipyard on Tuesday signed an agreement to build two training warships for Qatar’s navy.

The planned ships will have the capacity to train 72 naval cadets, shipyard chairman Sualp Urkmez told Anadolu Agency.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2018), which kicked off Monday in the Qatari capital.

According to Urkmez, both vessels will feature classrooms, training areas, weapons and sensors.

“Qatar needs these ships to provide its naval personnel with sufficient training,” he said, adding that both vessels would be delivered within 36 months.

Turkey, Urkmez went on to point out, is among only 10 countries worldwide that can design and build its own warships.

At the Doha exhibition, Qatari officials signed separate agreements with Turkey's Ares and Yonca-Onuk shipyards for another 17 military vessels, all of which will be outfitted with weapons built by Turkish defense manufacturer Aselsan.

More than 30 Turkish companies are taking part in this year’s DIMDEX exhibition, which showcases state-of-the-art military technologies, including armored vehicles, aerial drones and high-speed gunboats.

*Gokhan Ergocun contributed to this story from Ankara