While the world's attention is fixed on the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Turkish shipyards are busy constructing the country's first national aircraft carrier, the Mugem.
Turkey's Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu said last week that the aircraft carrier is expected to be finished towards the end of next year, creating a buzz.
The statement suggests that the ship’s hull will be completed nearly a year ahead of the originally announced schedule.
The ship, the largest warship ever built in the country, is expected to have a displacement of 60,000 tonnes and measure 285 metres in length. It will surpass the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (261 metres, 42,500 tonnes), which has until now been the Mediterranean’s most powerful flagship. It is designed to host 60 aircraft, featuring a short take-off system.
Many in Ankara see the rapid progress of the project, which was only launched in August 2025 with the personal attendance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as a sign that Turkey is determined to build up its arsenal to establish the necessary deterrence capabilities against state actors.
