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Türkiye Deploys Anadolu Task Group to Command NATO Amphibious Operations From Mediterranean to Baltic.
Türkiye has deployed its Anadolu Task Group on a year-long NATO mission, sailing from Foça to operate across European maritime theaters under national command. The deployment places the Turkish Navy at the core of NATO’s amphibious and rapid-reaction planning, reinforcing alliance readiness during a period of heightened maritime focus.
On 20 January 2026, Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence announced that the Turkish Navy’s Anadolu Task Group had sailed from Foça to begin a major NATO deployment across European waters. According to the official statement, the force is operating under national command while fulfilling the roles of Commander Amphibious Task Force and Commander Landing Force within NATO’s Allied Reaction Force framework. The mission spans a full year, from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, positioning Turkish naval forces at the core of the Alliance’s amphibious and rapid-reaction posture across multiple maritime theatres.
Türkiye has launched its Anadolu Task Group on a year-long NATO deployment from Foça, placing the Turkish Navy at the center of allied amphibious and rapid-reaction operations across European waters (Picture Source: Turkish Ministry of Defence)
The deployment unfolds against a broader backdrop of heightened concern over maritime security in the Mediterranean, North Atlantic and Baltic regions, with NATO increasingly focused on large-scale reinforcement, freedom of navigation and the protection of critical sea lines. Within this context, the Anadolu Task Group is tasked with demonstrating NATO’s ability to shift an integrated amphibious force from southern to northern waters while maintaining command continuity and operational readiness. As outlined by the Ministry of National Defence, the group will participate in several flagship NATO exercises and contribute to ongoing maritime security operations, including Sea Guardian, Brilliant Shield and Noble Shield.
At the centre of the deployment is a task organisation structured as a complete expeditionary amphibious force, reflecting NATO doctrine. Türkiye assumes both CATF and CLF responsibilities for the Allied Reaction Force, providing an afloat headquarters capable of commanding amphibious and landing operations throughout the deployment period. The core naval formation comprises the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu as flagship, the fast combat support ship TCG Derya as the logistics task element, the I-class frigate TCG Istanbul and the Ada-class corvette TCG Kinaliada as the escort force. This structure, clearly reflected in the official visual released by the Ministry, mirrors a modular NATO task group combining command, manoeuvre, protection and sustainment at sea.
TCG Anadolu serves as the operational hub of the task group. Derived from the Spanish Juan Carlos I design, the 232-metre-long amphibious assault ship integrates a well deck for landing craft, a full-length flight deck and extensive vehicle and troop accommodation. These features allow it to embark a battalion-level amphibious force, aviation assets and command staff simultaneously. In its role as CATF and CLF flagship, Anadolu provides the command-and-control backbone for coordinating multinational amphibious, maritime and air operations during high-tempo NATO exercises such as Steadfast Dart and Neptune Strike. The ship’s configuration enables it to function not only as a launch platform for amphibious operations but also as a joint command node capable of sustaining decision-making at sea over extended periods.
Sustained operations far from national ports are enabled by the presence of TCG Derya, which forms the logistics task element of the group. Commissioned as a fast combat support ship, Derya provides underway replenishment of fuel, ammunition, provisions and fresh water, allowing the task group to maintain tempo during long transits and prolonged activity in northern waters. Its inclusion is critical for a deployment that spans the Mediterranean, Bay of Biscay, North Sea, Baltic Sea and Adriatic, reducing reliance on shore-based support and increasing operational autonomy. Escort protection is provided by TCG Istanbul and TCG Kinaliada, which together deliver air defence, surface warfare and anti-submarine capabilities tailored to both open-ocean and congested littoral environments.
The naval force is complemented by an embarked amphibious and aviation component that translates sea control into power projection ashore. According to the Ministry’s visual material, the task group includes an amphibious marine infantry battalion supported by landing craft mechanised, rigid-hulled inflatable boats and amphibious armoured assault vehicles. Naval special warfare elements, including SAT and SAS teams and first-class divers, provide capabilities for reconnaissance, maritime interdiction and specialised amphibious tasks. The air component consists of shipborne helicopters and Bayraktar TB-3 unmanned aerial vehicles, the latter explicitly shown in the official imagery, reflecting Türkiye’s emphasis on integrating unmanned systems into maritime operations. Together, these elements form a self-contained amphibious force package capable of conducting landings, raids and maritime security missions across a wide operational spectrum.
The Anadolu Task Group’s operational schedule is particularly demanding. Between 20 January and 23 April 2026, the force is set to deploy from the Mediterranean to northern European waters, participating in Steadfast Dart 2026, Northern Quadriga 2026, Dynamic Mariner, Cold Response and Joint Warrior 2026, as well as the Neptune Strike 26.1 enhanced vigilance activity. Steadfast Dart is intended to validate the Allied Reaction Force through large-scale, multi-domain reinforcement, placing Anadolu at the heart of NATO’s most prominent readiness exercise of the year. Northern Quadriga and associated activities focus on the Baltic Sea and its approaches, emphasising amphibious manoeuvre, mine warfare and maritime control. Exercises such as Dynamic Mariner, Cold Response and Joint Warrior test interoperability and endurance in the North Atlantic and High North, while Neptune Strike integrates the task group into a broader maritime strike framework alongside allied naval and air forces.
Beyond exercises, the deployment includes direct participation in NATO maritime security operations. Sea Guardian underpins situational awareness and counter-terrorism efforts in the Mediterranean, while Brilliant Shield and Noble Shield extend deterrence and reassurance activities into northern waters. The Anadolu Task Group’s combination of organic aviation and UAV-based surveillance, layered escort protection and robust logistical support makes it well suited to these missions, which require persistent presence, rapid reaction and seamless integration with allied command structures. The Ministry also highlights that the deployment will include 13 port visits, reinforcing NATO’s forward presence and engagement with allied and partner nations across multiple regions.
In strategic terms, the Anadolu Task Group deployment underscores Türkiye’s growing role within NATO’s maritime architecture. By assuming both amphibious and landing force command responsibilities and deploying a nationally generated task group across several seas, Ankara positions itself as a key link between the Alliance’s southern and northern maritime theatres. The force structure showcased during this deployment illustrates Türkiye’s ability to generate and sustain a modern amphibious task group largely based on domestically developed platforms, while operating fully within NATO frameworks. As the group moves from the Mediterranean to northern European waters, its performance will contribute to shaping future concepts for the Allied Reaction Force and offer a practical test of NATO’s ambition to field agile, interoperable and enduring maritime forces in an increasingly contested security environment.
The Anadolu Task Group deployment represents a full-scale test of NATO’s amphibious and rapid-reaction concept under European leadership, using a nationally generated force operating across a wide geographic span. By combining command responsibilities, escort protection, logistics support and embarked amphibious forces within a single task organisation, Türkiye contributes a flexible maritime package capable of shifting from presence and reassurance to crisis response. As the Allied Reaction Force continues to evolve, the experience gained during this year-long deployment, across multiple exercises, operations and port visits, is likely to inform future NATO approaches to amphibious operations, maritime security and cross-regional reinforcement in an increasingly complex maritime environment.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.