BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the wake of that Russian submarine disaster, NATO started its largest submarine rescue exercise ever today off the southern coast of Turkey. It's code named Sorbet Royal 2000. Captain Serdar Dulger from the country of Turkey now live on the telephone with us. And Captain, can you hear me?</s>CAPT. SERDAR DULGER, APIC SPOKESPERSON: Yes, I can hear you.</s>HEMMER: OK, Bill Hemmer here live in Atlanta. And I'm hearing something else in my ears here, so hopefully we can knock that out. Captain, tell us about the exercise. Where did this idea begin? Actually, Sorbet Royal is a live exercise -- NATO submarine escape and rescue exercise, and this is the fourth live exercise -- submarine search and rescue exercise scheduled to run from 13th of September in Mersin area out of 30.</s>HEMMER: Captain, we all know what happened with the Russians just about three weeks ago. Was this planned before the Kursk went down?</s>DULGER: Actually, not planned with the Kursk incident, but this is a planned NATO exercise, which is carried out in every four years in different areas of responsibilities of</s>NATO. HEMMER: How many countries involved, Captain?</s>DULGER: Actually, three countries at the moment: Turkey, Italy and the United States, with their units, rescue vehicles and submarines. And some other nations, PfP nations, and observers.</s>HEMMER: All right, very interesting operation there. NATO and a number of countries getting together. Four submarines will put on the bottom of the ocean there. Search and rescue teams will go out and try to recover those submarine, very reminiscent of what we saw in the Barents Sea just a few weeks ago. Captain Serdar Dulger by telephone there with us today.
Spokesman Discusses NATO Sub Rescue Exercises Off Turkey