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‘Blue Homeland’ dispute within CHP: Prominent CHP figures Namık Tan and Yankı Bağcıoğlu clash

CHP MP and retired Ambassador Namık Tan, who also participated in the 'normalization' talks, referred to the 'Blue Homeland' as a 'fairy tale.' CHP Deputy Chairman Yankı Bağcıoğlu responded, stating, 'It is my duty as a Turkish admiral to explain, clarify, teach, and defend the Blue Homeland concept.'

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CHP Chairman Özgür Özel’s talks on “normalization” with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which were attended and recorded by CHP MP and retired Ambassador Namık Tan, were followed by Tan’s participation and speech at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) General Assembly.

During his speech, Namık Tan addressed AKP deputies, stating, “They retreated quite quickly from the Blue Homeland fairy tale they had clung to for a while.”

Namık Tan’s use of the term “fairy tale” for the “Blue Homeland” drew backlash.

Here is that speech:

Retired Rear Admiral and CHP Deputy Chairman Yankı Bağcıoğlu issued a statement on the “Blue Homeland” following the remarks made by CHP’s Namık Tan.

In his written statement titled “Blue Homeland,” CHP Deputy Chairman Yankı Bağcıoğlu emphasized, “It is my duty as a Turkish admiral to explain, clarify, teach, and defend the Blue Homeland concept.”

The statement by CHP Deputy Chairman Yankı Bağcıoğlu is as follows:

“The concept of Blue Homeland is the concrete expression of the Republic of Turkey’s rights, interests, and concerns in the seas.

- The theory of the concept that introduced this term, as well as the actual implementation of the concept in our seas, are beyond any political considerations and are based on many years of effort.

- The foundation of this concept is not built on rhetoric or chauvinistic ideas, but on the ideas of admirals who have spent their lives at sea, mariners serving in the Merchant Navy, scientists and academics working in the field of maritime law, as well as the efforts of the late Admiral Güven Erkaya, who first brought the issue of islands with disputed sovereignty in the Aegean Sea to the agenda, and the late admirals Vural Bayazıt and Özden Örnek, the architects of the National Ship Concept, who contributed to the development of maritime power.

- The Blue Homeland concept is the practical realization of the Turkish national ideal, which took shape under Atatürk’s directive regarding the seas.

- It is my duty as a Turkish admiral to explain, clarify, teach, and defend the Blue Homeland concept.”

WHAT IS BLUE HOMELAND?

Turkey’s maritime jurisdiction areas on all four sides are referred to as the “Blue Homeland.” Covering the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean, the Blue Homeland was first introduced at a symposium held at the Naval Forces Command in 2006.

The “Blue Homeland” concept, introduced by retired Rear Admiral Cem Gürdeniz at the symposium on “Black Sea and Maritime Security” held at the Naval Forces Command, was recorded in the Basic Maritime Law book in 2010.

The maritime jurisdiction delimitation agreement between Turkey and Libya became one of the concrete steps of the Blue Homeland doctrine. Thanks to this agreement, which was announced to the world upon its notification to the UN, Turkey became a maritime neighbor to Libya.