An aircraft carrier for Turkey?

It wasn't so long ago (MarineForum reported on this in April) that Turkish President Erdogan had been flirting in vain with a second-hand British-built carrier. The amphibious helicopter carrier, which has been under construction at an Istanbul shipyard since 2016 as a Spanish licence and technology transfer build by Navantia, is probably a little too small for his larger Turkish requirements. The "Anadolu" carrier, which resembles the Spanish flagship "Juan Carlos I", is not equipped with a smooth deck, but with a skyjump launch ramp for short take-off and vertical landing Harrier-style aircraft. This ramp would be well suited if the STOVL Lightnings (carrier-capable Joint Strike Fighter) of the USA could be purchased. However, this does not look likely at the moment, as the American NATO partner has its own differences with the Turkish government and has cancelled a hoped-for F-35B deal. A smooth-deck aircraft for conventional carrier jets would therefore be more likely to be required. But even with all the industrial sales interest on the island - especially from a political point of view - a British smooth-deck aircraft cannot simply be pulled out of dry dock. There is also the Navantia consortium in Spain, with which there is currently good co-operation anyway and which can also build beautiful ships for mostly demanding but well-paying customers.

Great intentions

On the occasion of the Spanish-Turkish intergovernmental talks that have just taken place in Ankara, the host has offered the Spanish President Pedro Sanchez extended cooperation opportunities for the future. According to the Turkish president, this could involve a somewhat larger-scale carrier. The grateful retention of the Spanish Patriot missile battery for national defence on Turkish soil while all other NATO partners had withdrawn theirs was already a clear sign of existing common ground. And since the friendly arm is being placed on the shoulder - a smart Spanish S-80 submarine, as is currently under construction, would also be a desirable addition to the arsenal on the other side of the Bosporus.

Good prospects

Spain could certainly become a favoured partner in the expansion of the Turkish navy. In the final press conference, the Turkish side even spoke of an agreement regarding an aircraft carrier. There was no specific response from the Spanish side to this, but Sanchez did give assurances that he would do his utmost to support Turkey's prospects of joining the European Union. After all, Turkey is a neighbour, partner and member of the alliance. This may all be true, but it is also important to know that the bilateral trade volume is expected to reach around 20 billion euros this year, that around 600 Spanish companies are investing in the Anatolian peninsula and that Spain has acquired a majority stake in at least one bank in the Turkish banking sector. On the other hand, however, Spain's state-owned shipyard complex is always dependent on substantial orders, and if these fail to materialise, the Spanish government's employee representatives will be up in arms. Spain will be organising the NATO summit next year. This also requires good weather.

Video: Undocking ANADOLU for structural analysis in the harbour