Bangladesh reported flirtation with Turkey to buy new warships may not be true as the prominent Bangladeshi media DhakaTribune retracted the news saying Bangladesh Navy does not confirm such news. It’s a wish list rather than any procurement plan, reports local media.
Any critical military reliance on Turkey can be leveraged for political influence. The danger is particularly acute, as a resurgent Turkey under the Presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to gain an Islamist foothold in South and Central Asia, with Pakistan as the bridgehead. It is therefore likely that a deep military relationship can be used by Ankara to deepen its influence in Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal zone.
Developed under the MILGEM Turkish warship program, the Istanbul-class is a new generation of frigates.
The Turkish frigates can reach a 29 knots (54 km/h) maximum speed, with a maximum cruising range of 5,700 nautical miles.
Bangladesh Navy currently has two second-hand obsolete submarines, 115 surface ships, including smaller crafts and boats, including five guided missile frigates, two patrol frigates, six guided missile corvettes, among others, the daily said. The most Bangladeshi warships are either low-cost Chinese Corvettes or donated by the UK and the US.
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