TCG Ütğm Arif Ekmekçi (A-575)

TCG Ütğm Arif Ekmekçi (A-575), also known as TCG Üsteğmen Arif Ekmekçi (A-575), is a Turkish auxiliary ship for fleet support of the Turkish Naval Forces, commissioned in January 2024. She was named after a naval speicial operations officer, who died during a military exercise at sea.

History
On 17 July 2012, the Defence Industry Agency (SSB) of the Ministry of National Defense launched a project for the building of two auxiliary ships for fleet support to meet the needs of the Turkish Naval Forces.

Selah Shipyard
A contract was signed between the SSB and Selah Shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul on 24 November 2014. After project begin in February 2015, it was planned that the first ship in 16 months, and the second ship in 26 months would be completed. The second ship, TCG Ütğm Arif Ekmekçi (A-575), was launched on 7 July 2017, and the outfitting activities began. In 2018, Selah Shipyard started to experience financial difficulties, and many workers were laid off without compensation. In September 2019, the shipbuilding company declared bankruptcy application to the court due to inability to make payments. The ships remained in the shipyard with their equipment, and sea trial activities were unfinished.

Ada Shipyard
On 9 February 2021, a contract was signed between the SSB and the defence engineering company STM to outfit the unfinished ships, and deliver them to the Turkish Navy as soon as possible. On 24 March 2021, works started at Ada Shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul. Sea trials began on 7 July 2023. The ship entered service in the Turkish Navy with a ceremony on 19 January 2024. She was named TCG Ütğm Arif Ekmeçi after the naval special operations officer, who died during a naval exercise, and with the hull number A-575.

Characteristics
The ship is 106.51 m long, and has a beam of 16.80 m. Her displacement tonnage is 8477 LT. She has a range of 9500 nmi at 12 kn. The ship is capable of carrying 4036 LT of F-76 diesel fuel, 336 LT of JP-5 helicopter fuel, 631 LT of drinking water and 8 standard containers. The vessel features 108 m3 of storage space, an electro-hydraulic crane with 18 LT lifting capacity and a helipad of 15 LT load capacity. She is armed with two 12.7 mm Aselsan STAMP stabilized machine guns. The number of ship's crew is 82.

Namesake
Arif Ekmekçi was born to Yılmaz and Kadun Ekmekçi in Tirebolu, Giresun Province, northern Turkey on 14 February 1964. He entered Naval High School at Heybeliada in Istanbul. After finishing his secondary education in 1982, he continued his military education in the Naval Academy at Tuzla, Istanbul, and graduated in 1986. He then took training at the Underwater Attack Commando (SAT Komando) course, and became an underwater operation specialist officer in 1991. The next year, he married.

On 15 April 1993, Arif Ekmekçi, in the rank of a Lieutenant (junior grade), (Üsteğmen), was tasked to simulate an escape from a submarine underwater together with a teammate during the naval exercise "Deniz Kurdu-93" ("Sea Wolf-93") off the coast of Amasra in the Black Sea. He and his teammate simultaneously exited the submarine, however, Ekmekçi could not get to the surface. Search and rescue efforts remained unsuccessful, only his diving fins were found.

In December 2007, diving suits containing human bone fragments were caught in the nets of fishermen fishing off the coast of Amasra. In case the body belonged to Arif Ekmekçi, a blood sample was taken from the mother, and a bone sample was taken from the body in the father's grave. After a ten-month DNA test process, it became clear that the body belonged to Arif Ekmekçi. In August 2008, his remains were buried in Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery in Istanbul.

Sister ship

 * TCG Yzb Güngör Durmuş