Turkey to send warships to Gulf of Aden

The Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey’s Cabinet says it has decided to deploy navy ships in the Gulf of Aden to help protect cargo vessels from pirates.

The government says it sent a decree to the parliament for approval on Thursday. The decision comes after the release of the third Turkish cargo ship held by pirates off the Somali coast earlier this week. Parliament is expected to vote and approve the decree next week.

A Turkish frigate already had served in the region under NATO, but the mission of that ship has expired and Turkey wants to contribute to anti-piracy efforts further.

In 2008, pirates attacked 111 ships in the waterway, hijacking 42 of them and receiving tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.

Source:  International Herald Tribune, February 5, 2009