Turkey launches EFES 2018 military drills

First footage from the EFES 2018 Live Fire Military Drills hosted by Turkey were shared Thursday on the website of the Turkish General Staff.

The drills, which are hosted by Turkey and administered by the Aegean Army Command, will be carried out in Western Anatolia, the Central Aegean region, the Gulf of Izmir and the Doğanbey Live Fire Drill Zone with the participation of friends and allied countries between May 7- 11.

The military exercise aims to develop the combined military and combat capabilities of the joint command and units formed by armies of the participating countries in a unified operation so as to cover all aspects of combat in preparation for an actual war.

The drills will be carried out with the participation of the Turkish General Staff, the Turkish Air Forces Command, the Turkish Land Forces Command, the Turkish General Staff Special Forces Command, the Coast Guard Command, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Hungary, Macedonia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Romania, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Qatar, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The live fire phase of the drill will be carried out on May 9-10.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) shared footage from the EFES 2018 military drill. "The EFES 2018 Drill, which is the planned military exercises of the Turkish Armed Forces, is carried out between April 11 and May 11, 2018 with the participation of friends and allies."