A ceremony was held for the launch of MPMS-1, one of the two largest ships in the MMEA inventory, equipped with domestic and advanced technology systems of the Turkish defense industry, at the ATLAS Shipyard within the DESAN Shipyard in Kocaeli Free Zone, with the participation of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mustafa Çiftçi.
Speaking at the ceremony, Malaysian Minister of Internal Affairs Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail said that Türkiye is currently offering frigates and similar ships to the Turkish navy, especially within the scope of the MILGEM program.
Stating that shipbuilding is not an easy task, İsmail noted that the MPMS-1 they will launch will be a strength of the Malaysian naval forces.
Expressing that today is an important day for Malaysia, İsmail said, "More importantly, a new era is being opened, especially in Malaysia-Turkey relations. MPMS-1 is a symbol of trust, more than a ship. It is a symbol of common dedication and hard work, of Malaysia and Türkiye. It is our determination and a step for the security and cooperation of our seas." he said.
Explaining that the Turkish coast guard has a long relationship with its Malaysian counterparts, Ismail stated that Malaysia wants to further strengthen this relationship.
Pointing out that Malaysia is a maritime country, Ismail said, "We are faced with many difficulties. There are violations of foreign ships, illegal fishing, human and similar smuggling and similar cross-border maritime crimes. Putting MPMS-1 into service will increase our response capability." he said.
"We will deliver the ship in January 2027"
DESAN Shipyard Chairman of the Board of Directors, Cenk İsmail Kaptanoğlu, stated that they are proud to launch the first ship they built for the Malaysian coast guard today, and said that this success is the result of months of engineering, production and intense labor, and is also a concrete indicator of the trust-based cooperation between Türkiye and Malaysia.
Pointing out the importance of ensuring security at sea, Kaptanoğlu noted that the ships they built will contribute to the Malaysian Coast Guard Command's duties at sea for many years.
Reminding that they made a promise at the ceremony held in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Malaysian Prime Minister Enver İbrahim at the beginning of the project, Kaptanoğlu said, "We would bring the 24-month delivery period stipulated in the contract forward by 2 months and deliver the ship in 22 months. Today, we are leaving behind an important stage in fulfilling this promise and launching our ship. We will hopefully deliver the ship in January 2027 by completing the remaining works and tests. We will deliver the second ship in less than 22 months." We aim to do so.” he said.
Kaptanoğlu stated that they wish the ship to be present at the LIMA 2027 Fair to be held in Langkawi on 20-24 April 2027, after the delivery, if Malaysian Minister of Internal Affairs İsmail deems it appropriate, and emphasized that they want to exhibit the ship's unmanned aerial vehicles, fast intervention boats, helicopter operation capability, mobile tracking radar and unmanned marine vehicle to be delivered with the second ship, at the fair.
Stating that it would be a very nice moment for them to come together again at the reception that brings together Turkish and Malaysian cultures, Kaptanoğlu said, "Today, we are simultaneously carrying out the construction of 2 ships for the Malaysian Coast Guard and 1 Hisar Class Offshore Patrol Ship for the Turkish Naval Forces, each approximately 100 meters long, in our shipyard. Our work on all 3 ships is progressing successfully and on the planned schedule. This progress is the result of the effort of our teams, our production power and the disciplined work and understanding we adopt in our projects." he said.
Kaptanoğlu stated that they started ground preparation works in Malacca for the "Enrique of Malacca Shipyard", which is the company's first overseas investment, and noted that they aim to carry out new ship construction and maintenance and repair activities in this shipyard, where they plan to complete the first phase by the end of 2027, and to contribute to local employment, knowledge and training of a qualified workforce.
Following the speeches, MPMS-1, the first of the two 99-meter-long Multi-Purpose Coast Guard Ships built by DESAN Shipyard for the Malaysian Coast Guard Command, was launched.
Following the completion of the equipment, system integration and testing processes, the ship is aimed to be delivered to Malaysia in January 2027.
Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş, AK Party Kocaeli MPs Veysal Tipioğlu and Radiye Sezer Katırcıoğlu, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, AK Party Provincial Chairman Şahin Talus, MHP Provincial Chairman Enes Emengen, high-ranking representatives from the Coast Guard Commands of the two countries and guests attended the ceremony.
