Romania hands over to Turkey Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group command
The Romanian Navy on Thursday handed over the command of the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group (MCM BS TG) to the Turkish Navy during a military ceremony organised in the port of Umuryeri, Istanbul.
According to the Romanian Defence Ministry, a biannual meeting of the MCM Black Sea Committee was also held, where a report on the activities carried out under the command of the Romanian Navy was presented.
Between July and December 2025, the Romanian Navy participated in MCM BS TG with the Vice-Amiral Constantin Balescu (PM 274 )minelayer as the group's commanding ship, and the Sublocotenent Ion Ghiculescu (M 270) minesweeper. During this period, two activities of the MCM BS TG took place (July 10 - 24 and October 4 - 17), during which the vessels participated in the multinational exercises BREEZE and POSEIDON.
The principle of rotational control was established under a memorandum of uunderstanding signed on January 11, 2024, in Istanbul. Thus, the command of the MCM Black Sea Group will be ensured for the next six months by the Turkish Navy, and in the second half of the year by the Bulgarian Navy, with the Romanian Navy retaking command in the first half of 2027.
The main purpose of the task group is to maintain the safety of maritime traffic in the Black Sea, by carrying out surveillance, reconnaissance and neutralisation of sea mines, as well as carrying out related search and rescue operations at sea.
The minesweeper, with a crew of EOD divers on board, left the military port of Constanta on January 6 to join the task group and to participate in the eighth activation of the group since its establishment, which takes place January 6-18.
During the mission, the group will make stops in the ports of Umuryeri, in Turkey, Burgas in Bulgaria and Constanta in Romania, to restore combat capability. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Andreea Rotaru; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)
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