AKSAZ NAVAL BASE, Türkiye – On 4 July 2025, Turkish Rear Admiral H. İlker AVCI formally transferred command of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) to Italian Rear Admiral Francesco Iavazzo during a ceremony at Aksaz Naval Base. Vice Admiral Didier MALETERRE, Deputy Commander of Allied Maritime Command, presided over the event and congratulated both commanders.

The ceremony marked the end of a successful seven-month command by the Turkish Navy aboard flagship TCG Kemalreis. Over the course of 213 days, SNMG2 operated across the Mediterranean and Atlantic, conducting high-tempo operations to enhance NATO’s maritime posture.