ANKARA, 29 January, 2021 (TON): Turkey extended the deployment of forces in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, and the Arabian Sea, the country’s gazette stated on Thursday.

The Turkish Parliament approved the motion on Tuesday, and extends the deployment for one more year as of February 10, the media reported.

In 2008, Turkey took the decision of sending its forces to the region and extended the deployment 13 times.

"By deploying the naval elements of the Turkish armed forces, effective protection of Turkish flagged vessels and commercial vessels linked to Turkey sailing in the region and active participation in joint struggle operations against piracy, armed robbery acts, and terrorism at sea was ensured," the motion said.

The naval troop deployment makes certain the national policy of continuation of cooperation with the relevant countries in the field and the reinforcing of the role and visibility that the Turkish armed forces play in the system of the UN on a regional and global scale, it added.

The Gulf of Aden is a strategic point of global importance near the Bab el-Mandab Strait, which is a vital route for oil and natural gas shipments passing from the Gulf to the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea and Somalia are adjacent to the strategic trade route.

The Turks aim to control the ports of Bab al-Mandeb, including the ports of Djibouti and Berbera in the Republic of Somaliland and the port of Mogadishu, making it easier for them to control imports and exports from the Horn of Africa. This is seen as a threat to the interests of Gulf countries, which have sought in recent years to develop relations with countries of the region.