On Saturday 24th February, the Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri) or Turkish Navy announced that the Rhein class training ship TCG SOKULLU MEHMET PASA A 577 will be decommissioned.
She was built in Schlichting Shipyard in Travemunde, Germany as FGS DONAU A 69 and commissioned to the German Navy on 23rd May 1964 after she was laid down on 24th December 1959 as the Type 401 Rhein Class Tender. They were support ships for the 3rd Schnellboot Squadron until they were decommissioned by 1992.
Out of 8 ships built, four were scrapped while 3 were sold to Turkey and 1 to Greece.
On 1st December 1994 she was sold to Turkey and was recommissioned on the 23rd May, 1997 and first time to call at Malta was 4 years later back to 27th September, 2001 followed by 10 Diplomatic Visits .
Berthed at Wine Wharf , part of VISET (now Valletta Cruise Port) back to July, 2005.
Together with her sistership TCG CEZAYIRLI GAZI HASAN PASA A 579, were used as flagships when the Turkish Navy was in command of NATO SNMCMG 2.
Also while in the navy , she served as a training ship for naval cadets of the Turkish Naval Petty Officer Vocational School and the Turkish Naval Academy and stopped at various ports including at Malta.
Leaving Valletta with cadets back to July 2008.
In 2014 MALTA SHIP PHOTOS & ACTION PHOTOS (MSPAP) were commissioned to do Aerial Photography of the sisters, a rare scene these days for 60’s commissioned naval vessels.