Turkish Navy on display

October 30, 2026
David Pugliese

Members of the Turkish Navy navigate the Bosphorus Strait near Istanbul in late September 2026.

(Credit: David Pugliese)

I recently went for trip down the Bosphorus Strait, the waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Located in Turkey, the strait physically separates the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

During the trip, I encountered a flotilla of Turkish Navy ships and submarines, approximately ten vessels heading towards Istanbul. It was quite an impressive display.

The Turkish Navy operates about 197 active ships and submarines. You can check out the breakdown on the GlobalMilitary.net website. Among those are 14 submarines, of which two variants were on display.

German shipyard TKMS has been delivering new subs to the Turks. On Nov. 27, 2025, TKMS announced the delivery of the second Reis-class (Type-214TN) air independent propulsion (AIP) capable submarine to the Turkish Navy.

Get the details here on NavalNews.com.

Meanwhile, here are some photos of some of the Bosphorus flotilla, which passed by me in late September 2026.

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