Turkey's First Aircraft Carrier Nears Completion as Ankara Bolsters Naval Deterrence

Key facts

• Turkey's first national aircraft carrier, the Mugem, is expected to be finished towards the end of next year, nearly a year ahead of schedule.
• The ship will have a displacement of 60,000 tonnes, measure 285 metres in length, and host 60 aircraft with a short take-off system.
• Israel's opposition leader Naftali Bennett called Turkey 'the next Iran' at a Washington conference in February.
• The USS Gerald R Ford completed a record 295-day deployment, the longest post-Vietnam War, before heading home.
• Three US aircraft carriers were deployed to the Middle East simultaneously for the first time since 2003.
• The Ford's deployment included participation in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the opening days of the Iran war.
• A fire in the Ford's laundry space forced it to return to the Mediterranean for repairs, leaving hundreds of sailors without sleeping quarters.

A New Flagship for the Eastern Mediterranean

Turkish shipyards are racing to complete the Mugem, the country's first national aircraft carrier, as Ankara seeks to project power in a region where it feels increasingly isolated. Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, Turkey's Naval Forces Commander, announced last week that the vessel is expected to be finished towards the end of next year, a timeline that suggests the hull will be completed nearly a year ahead of the original schedule. The Mugem, with a displacement of 60,000 tonnes and a length of 285 metres, will surpass the French Charles de Gaulle — until now the Mediterranean's most powerful flagship — in both size and capacity. Designed to host 60 aircraft using a short take-off system, it is the largest warship ever built in Turkey.

From Launch to Strategic Necessity

The project was launched in August 2025 with the personal attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and its rapid progress is seen in Ankara as a sign of determination to build deterrence capabilities against state actors. Many analysts view the accelerated timeline as a response to mounting tensions with Israel and its deepening alliances with Greece and Cyprus. Meysune Yasar, an academic specialising in Turkish naval power, said the warming relations between Greek Cyprus and Israel have made their alliance very effective and their posture increasingly aggressive. 'Turkey is becoming isolated in the Eastern Mediterranean, and this aircraft carrier is both an additional capability and a strategic necessity,' Yasar told Middle East Eye.

Tensions with Israel and the 'Next Iran' Rhetoric

Israeli leaders from both the government and opposition have increasingly likened Turkey to Iran in their rhetoric. Naftali Bennett, a popular opposition leader who could become the next prime minister, told a conference in Washington in February that Turkey was 'the next Iran.' The comparison reflects a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations, which have been strained by Ankara's assertiveness in the Eastern Mediterranean and its support for Hamas. Turkey has accelerated projects in air defence, unmanned platforms, and the fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet production line following two rounds of war between Israel and Iran, as well as US involvement. The Mugem is seen as a centrepiece of this broader military buildup.

A Record Deployment and a Strained US Carrier

While Turkey builds its carrier, the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, is heading home after a record-setting deployment of more than 300 days. Two US officials said the Ford will leave the Middle East in the coming days and return to its home port in Virginia in mid-May. The ship's 295th day at sea surpassed the previous longest deployment by an aircraft carrier in the past 50 years, when the USS Abraham Lincoln was sent out for 294 days in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. The Ford's deployment included participation in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the opening days of the Iran war. However, a fire in one of its laundry spaces forced the carrier to turn around and return to the Mediterranean for repairs, leaving hundreds of sailors without places to sleep.

Operational Tradeoffs and Readiness Concerns

The Ford's long deployment has raised questions about the impact on service members and the strain on the ship's equipment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, testifying before the House armed services committee, said he consulted the navy and that officials mentioned readiness and maintenance tradeoffs. 'Multiple times the operational requirements — whether it was down in Southcom or up to Centcom — demanded additional assets in real time, which through a tough decision-making process led to an extension,' Hegseth said, referring to US Southern Command and Central Command. The arrival of the USS George HW Bush last week meant three American aircraft carriers were deployed to the Middle East simultaneously, a number not seen since 2003, during a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war. The USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the region since January as tensions with Tehran ramped up.

A Changing Naval Balance

The Mugem's completion will mark a significant shift in the naval balance of the Eastern Mediterranean. Even though aircraft carriers are usually developed for open seas, Yasar said Ankara may see the Mugem as a lever to deter potential hostile actors in the region. The ship's short take-off system and 60-aircraft capacity will give Turkey a power projection capability it has never possessed. The idea of building an aircraft carrier is not new in Turkey; its roots can be traced to the early 1990s. But the current geopolitical environment — with Israel's growing alliance with Greece and Cyprus, and the US focus on the Iran war — has given the project renewed urgency.

What Comes Next

As the Mugem nears completion, Turkey is expected to intensify its naval exercises and potentially deploy the carrier to assert its claims in the Eastern Mediterranean. The ship's arrival will likely escalate tensions with Greece and Cyprus, which have already seen an increase in Turkish naval activity. Meanwhile, the departure of the USS Gerald R Ford reduces the firepower available as the Trump administration presses Tehran to make peace. The Ford's 295-day deployment falls short of the Cold War record held by the USS Midway, which was deployed for 332 days in 1972 and 1973, but it underscores the strain on US naval forces as they juggle multiple global commitments.

The bottom line

• Turkey's Mugem aircraft carrier, set to be finished by end of 2026, will be the largest warship ever built in the country and surpass France's Charles de Gaulle.
• The project reflects Ankara's determination to build deterrence capabilities amid rising tensions with Israel and its alliances with Greece and Cyprus.
• The USS Gerald R Ford set a post-Vietnam War record with a 295-day deployment, but its departure reduces US firepower in the Middle East during stalled Iran peace talks.
• Three US carriers were simultaneously deployed to the Middle East for the first time since 2003, highlighting the region's strategic importance.
• The Ford's deployment included participation in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the Iran war, but a fire forced repairs and raised readiness concerns.
• Turkey's naval buildup and Israel's 'next Iran' rhetoric signal a deepening rivalry in the Eastern Mediterranean.