The TCG Uluçalireis submarine is preparing to receive visitors after being refurbished and transformed into a museum at sea, the first of its kind in Turkey.
The submarine, which is 94 meters long and 8.5 meters wide, is scheduled to receive visitors in the waters of the northwestern province of Çanakkale next Monday.
The submarine was American-made and went to sea in 1944 under the name “USS Thornback,” and participated in World War II before joining the Turkish Navy.
The submarine joined the Turkish Navy in 1971 and took the name “TCG Uluçalireis” and participated in the military “peace operation” carried out by Turkey on the island of Cyprus in 1974.
The submarine, which was decommissioned in 2000, was converted into a “museum” after comprehensive maintenance and renovation works, and will receive its visitors at sea at the “Çanakkale Marine Museum”.
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In a press statement, Colonel Serhan Aras, commander of the Çanakkale Marine Museum, said that the submarine, which was built in the United States in 1944, is a very majestic naval vehicle.
It pointed out that the submarine underwent maintenance and renovation work that took about a year to transform it into a museum at sea, the first of its kind in Turkey.
It stated that the submarine will open its doors to visitors in the waters of Çanakkale next Monday, March 18, coinciding with the celebrations commemorating the naval victory in the battles of Çanakkale in 1915.
On March 18 of each year, Turkey commemorates the anniversary of the victory of the Ottoman Empire in the battles of Çanakkale in 1915 against the Allies, where British, French, New Zealand and Australian forces attempted to occupy Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire at that time, but the attempt failed.
The battle that took place in the Gallipoli area in Çanakkale was a turning point in the interest of the Turks, as they were victorious over the allied forces during World War I.
