Amid rising tensions in a region mired with conflicts, Turkey will host two naval exercises with its NATO allies and other countries with which it maintains close ties this week and next week.

Turkish and foreign battleships will take to the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea, the route of Russian warships heading to Syria, for exercises code named Mavi Balina (Blue Whale) and Nusret.

Countries including the United States, Romania, Bulgaria, Pakistan and Romania will join the Mavi Balina exercise between Nov. 19 and Nov. 28, while Greece and Germany will join the exercise off the coast of İzmir between Nov. 25 and Dec. 4.