ANKARA: Turkey’s navy is still unable to account for 14 ships, while two helicopters with 25 Special Forces troops are also missing since an unsuccessful coup plot against the government, Russia Today TV channel reported.
However, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has denied that any naval vessels were unaccounted for. Suspicions are growing that the commanders of the vessels could have been behind the coup plot against the Turkish government and were now seeking asylum at the Greek ports.
The ships were on duty in either the Aegean or the Black Seas on Friday before the coup to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took place. However, they have failed to return to port, though in theory the radar and the satellite tracking technology should be able to determine their locations, The Times newspaper reported.
It is believed that the ships could be heading towards the Greek ports. The Turkish deputy prime minister dismissed the reports that any naval vessels had gone missing but he did not give any further details as to their current location.
Eight Turkish military officers had already sought asylum in Greece after landing in the country on Saturday, where they were subsequently arrested. Turkish Ambassador to Greece Kerim Uras told the Greek authorities that the soldiers who had fled to Greece would have a “fair and transparent trial in Turkey.”
He added that if the soldiers were not returned to Turkey, that would not help the bilateral relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, the fate of the commander of the Turkish Navy Admiral Veysel Kosele who had not been heard from since the attempted coup took place, is still unknown.
It is also unclear whether he took any part in the action against the president or if he is being held against his will. According to the reports within the Turkish media, Kosele was tricked onto his ship by those supporting the coup who told him that a terrorist attack was taking place.
Two helicopters and 25 Special Forces troops are also missing since the failed coup, according to a report by the Hurriyet newspaper. It was reported that they were heading for a raid to target Erdogan in Marmaris, where he was enjoying a vacation.
“Two helicopters took off on the night linking July 17 to July 18. It could not be determined where the helicopters flying toward a forested area in Marmaris took off from. But its aim [to raid Erdogan] has been determined. The helicopters landed at an unknown location for a while and then went missing,” the newspaper reported on Monday.
Chief Spokesperson for the European Commission Margaritis Schinas told journalists on Tuesday that the European Union and the North Atlantic treaty Alliance had said that they do not know anything about the missing vessels or planes. Meanwhile, the Greek Defence Ministry also said that it was unaware of any Turkish ships that had tried to enter its ports following the attempted coup.