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ISTANBUL, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 3: The US navy ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) hosted on Wednesday, Nov. 3, attendees at a reception in Istanbul, Turkey.Addressing the opening speech, the U.S. Sixth Fleet Admiral Eugene H. Black said Turkey was "a highly valued NATO ally.""Our ability to collaborate and operate together is based on the solidarity and the strength of NATO," Black said.The U.S. ambassador to Ankara David Satterfield was also among the attendees at the reception.He pointed at "the strategic partnership" between Turkey and the US and said:"We may have differences but we never lose sight of the strategic importance we and our partners hold."USS Mount Whitney (MTW) serves as the Command Ship for Commander, Sixth Fleet/ Commander, Joint Command Lisbon/Commander, Striking Force NATO and has a complement of 150 enlisted personnel, 12 officers and 150 Civilian Mariners from Military Sealift Command. USS Mount Whitney was the first U.S. Navy combatant to permanently accommodate women on board.USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) is due to leave Istanbul on Thursday towards the Black Sea. (Footage by Melik Fırat Yucel /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)