Turkey continues its long march to becoming a major world power. It has made decisive geopolitical moves to enhance its position relative to those of its rivals in the Middle East, helping to oust the Russian and Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria (although the Turks supported a former al Qaeda front to achieve this goal).

Turkey is expanding its domestic arms industry, leading the world in drone production, creating their own fifth-generation warplane, and even preparing to build an aircraft carrier. Now comes news that the Turks have done something American shipyards could only ever dream of: they performed a fantastic dual-launch of their I-Class Frigates (the “I” is short for Istanbul). 

The predominantly Islamic nation has been underestimated by many geopolitical analysts for too long. Yes, it’s a (troubled) member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and a key economy in southern Europe (even though the European Union refused to incorporate this important nation into their consortium). Ankara, however, wants to chart its own path. 

And ever since the Europeans refused to admit Turkey into their union, once the Americans refused to sell Turkey the critical Patriot missile batteries that Turkey was entitled to under NATO guidelines (forcing Turkey to purchase Russian defense systems a decade ago), Turkey has moved farther away from the West.

Now, Turkey is a fiefdom onto itself. Married to a revanchist ideology of Islamism plus Neo-Ottomanism, President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, has worked diligently to assert Turkish power far beyond his nation’s shores. It hasn’t only been in the Middle East where Turkey’s hard hand has been felt. 

Erdogan has picked fights with his neighbor (and fellow NATO member), Greece, with essential allies in the Greater Middle East, such as Egypt and Israel, and has antagonized the situation on the divided island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

Throughout these experiences, Turkey’s power has expanded exponentially. Indeed, it may be the only major power today that has not seen its strength sapped in the ways that other great powers, such as the United States, Russia, China, and others have endured. 

The I-Class Frigates 

The two warships that Turkey launched simultaneously, the Izmir was launched by the Anadolu Shipyard while the other frigate, the Izmit, was launched by the Sedef Shipyard. A fourth frigate is under construction at the Sefine Shipyard and will be launched no later than early February of this year.

Incredibly, the contract for the two frigates that were just launched and the third that will be launched in just a few weeks was signed on April 6, 2023, according to the defense publication Naval News.

Meanwhile, the Americans, the supposed sole remaining world superpower, can’t even keep up with the maintenance demands of its current, deteriorating fleet, let alone produce a new frigate, such as the Constellation-class. That unfortunate frigate has remained in what the Hollywood types would refer to as “Development Hell,” given that the United States Navy changed the design parameters for those warships after Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilder, had already cut the steel and started laying down the keep for the Constellation-class.

Turkey, a nation that we barely consider when thinking of great power politics in this new, dangerous multipolar world system, is running circles around even the Americans when it comes to building their force of the future. 

When the 2020s began, Ankara knew they needed to replace their old YAVUZ-class frigates. What’s more, Turkey, after having experienced being cut off by Western (supposed) allies no longer wanted to be vulnerable to such sanctioning. So the Turkish government required that the replacements for the aging YAZUV-class frigates be indigenously built. Similar mandates were given for Turkey’s other major defense projects.

Turkey’s I-Class Frigates are an upgraded variant of the country’s successful Ada-class anti-submarine corvette. They are considered upgraded, due to the fact that the I-class has greater fuel capacity and, therefore, an extended operational range than the Ada-class anti-submarine corvettes they’re based on. Last year, the eponymously named Istanbul entered service in January of 2024. Another three boats in this class are meant to be deployed next year.

A Growing Capability for Regional Dominance 

Tayfun Ozberk of Naval News describes the I-class frigates as having “the configuration to conduct detection, determination of position, classification, identification, and destruction of the target […] The frigate is designed to conduct maritime surveillance and patrol operations, inspection, and surveillance of EEZ” while deterring potential threats. But the I-class frigate is more than just a deterrent against potential threat. It’s an overmatch. 

As noted above, Turkey has picked fights with its Greek neighbors, it has become embroiled in disputes with the Egyptians and Israelis over natural gas and oil deposit rights in the Mediterranean Sea. Turkish-backed jihadist groups are fighting Russian-backed militants in Libya. 

And, of course, Turkey is drastically expanding its presence in the Middle East, beginning with Syria, but likely moving all the way through Iraq to the Iranian border. Turkey’s growing naval power is a key example of Ankara’s intent to become one of the dominant poles in this new multipolar world system that is evolving before our very eyes.

Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.