Four items recovered from the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul, which sank off the coast of Oshima Island in Japan in 1890, have been brought to the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Institute for conservation and restoration.
The institute”s chairman, Tufan Turanlı, said the project titled “Ertuğrul – A Turkish Frigate in Japan,” which was launched in 2007 to bring the frigate to surface, was ongoing. He said the project aimed to determine the location of the sunken ship, recover items from the water and revive the memory of martyrs. “The location of the frigate was found last year. Some remains will be removed from the frigate during the operation that will continue through Feb. 16, and conservation and restoration work will start,” he said.
One of the first goals of the Ertuğrul Frigate Salvage Project is to draw attention to the disaster and commemorate the martyrs and veterans, Turan said and added “Turkish-Japanese friendship that started as a result of a disaster will be revived thanks to the frigate. Another goal is to shed light on Ottoman shipping. Studies to be carried out will be supported by documentary films.”
He said the frigate was lying off the coast of Oshima Island in Japan”s Kushimo town. The project that kicked off with the determination of the frigate”s location in January 2007 will continue with the retrieval of remains this year. Conservation and restoration work will be carried out in 2009. The restoration work will be complete in 2010 and items will be ready to put on display in various museums in Turkey and Japan, including the Turkish Museum in Japan.
Domestic News-Resource: Today”s Zaman
