ANKARA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye on Thursday wrapped up the EFES-2026 exercise, one of the country's largest combined and joint exercises, in the southwestern city of Izmir, involving forces from some foreign partners.
A total of 10,388 personnel participated, including 1,398 guests from 50 countries, according to local media.
On the final day of the exercise, as part of the scenario, a TB-3 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) took off from TCG Anadolu, an amphibious assault ship of the Turkish Navy. Two TCG Kinaliada and TCG Heybeliada corvettes fired their 76 mm naval guns during the exercise.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler, and Chief of General Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu observed the final events of the exercise, held at the Doganbey Firing Range in Izmir's Seferihisar district.
At the closing ceremony, Erdogan said his country is committed to positioning itself as a key actor in regional peace amid growing instability.
The Turkish president stressed that the world is going through a period in which security paradigms are changing, international law is losing altitude and credibility, and new security architectures are needed.
"As Türkiye, we will continue to stand for peace and stability against those investing in war and chaos," he said. ■
