Technological Extensions of the Offense-Defense Balance: Turkish Navy in the Eastern Mediterranean

The Eastern Mediterranean is one of the important points in the international arena where maritime competition is deepening. Although strategic approaches are effective in this competition, the level of technological progress is the primary goal of naval forces. In line with this goal, the level of technological progress of the naval forces in the region also affects their strategic assets and gives clues about long-term regional steps. These steps, which also highlight the interaction of technology and geopolitical presence, raise the question of where states stand in ensuring the balance of offense and defense. Ensuring this balance, which is also an indicator of regional peace and stability, is highly related to the technological qualities of the naval forces. This study asks where the Turkish Navy stands in the Eastern Mediterranean by focusing on the offense-defense balance approach. Türkiye, as one of the rising naval powers of the region, takes the link between technology and navy into consideration and considers it as one of the main steps in its long-term geopolitical existence. Focusing on the years 2011-2024, the study addresses the increasing naval activities with an offense-defense balanced approach and discusses the technological extensions of long-term geopolitical presence.