Turkey has officially handed over a Navy ship to the Maldives Coast Guard.
President Mohamed Muizzu attended the handover ceremony held on Friday night.
Minister of Defence Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon and Chief of Defence Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy were also in attendance at the ceremony.
The ship was formally handed over by Turkish Navy Fleet Commander Admiral Kadir Yildiz to Major General Hilmy.
It is named Dharumavantha after the Sultan who was in power when the Maldives converted to Islam.
The ship is capable of launching missiles. It was designed by a German company and is capable of attacking by air and sea.
It has been in use by the Turkish military since May 1984 as the TCG Volkan. The ship was brought to the Maldives after refitting.
Members from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) travelled to Turkey to learn how to operate and repair the vessel.
Details of the ship
- Length: 58 m
- Total weight: 436 tons
- Speed: 38 knots or 70 km/h
- Range: 1,940 km
- Engines: MTU diesel four engines
- Crew: 45 soldiers
Turkey has also decided to donate a second vessel to the Maldives. It is currently in use by the Turkish army.
