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The Turkish navy’s TCG Buyukada warship has docked at Pakistan’s Karachi Port as part of an official port visit until May 7.
The vessel, the second of the Ada-class corvettes produced under Türkiye’s MILGEM program, arrived in Pakistan after previously visiting Oman. TCG Buyukada was welcomed at the port by officials from both the Turkish and Pakistani navies.
In a statement issued by the Pakistan Navy, the visit is described as part of efforts to deepen mutual understanding and enhance maritime cooperation between the two naval forces. According to Pakistani media, the timing of the visit, amid rising tensions between Pakistan and India, highlights the strengthening defense ties between Türkiye and Pakistan.
Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk, spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, recently stated during a weekly press briefing that the Turkish Armed Forces continue training and exercise activities without interruption.
"The Turkish Armed Forces continue training and exercise activities without interruption, in addition to all their operational duties, to further strengthen their effectiveness and deterrence and to enhance the competence of their personnel," said Akturk.
He confirmed that TCG Buyukada will remain in Karachi from May 4 to May 7 as part of its current deployment.
Before arriving in Pakistan, TCG Buyukada will be on the 17th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2025) and conducted a training to Oman. While en route to Malaysia, the ship also engaged in naval training exercises with JS ASAHI, an Asahi-class destroyer of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, off the coast of Oman, according to the Turkish Ministry of Defense.
TCG Buyukada is a key platform within Türkiye’s MILGEM (National Ship) program.
The Malaysia MILGEM Corvette Project—Türkiye’s first corvette export to the Asia-Pacific region—is being carried out under the leadership of defense contractor STM. In 2024, a contract was signed for the Littoral Mission Ship Batch-II (LMS Batch II) project, and steel-cutting ceremonies for three ships were held in Türkiye. These vessels will include numerous indigenous systems developed by Turkish defense companies.
In a separate defense collaboration, four MILGEM corvettes are being built for the Pakistan Navy under the Pakistan MILGEM Program, led by ASFAT and the Pakistani Ministry of Defense. Two vessels are being constructed at Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command and the other two at Karachi Shipyard. Construction of the first ship, PNS BABUR, has been completed.
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