Culture Minister Nuri Ersoy dived into the Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park in Türkiye's Çanakkale on Saturday as part of the Troy Culture Road Festival within the scope of Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture Road project of reviving cultural heritage all over the country.
Ersoy, who made a statement after the dive to the reporters, said: "The Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park, which was opened to visitors, offers a historical journey through a discovery of warships sunk in the Çanakkale Battles 107 years ago."
With the guidance of the diving team leader, Ersoy and his companions dived into the 27-meter (88-feet) deep "The Lundy" shipwreck and had the opportunity to see a nearly 34-meter-long British ship, which was performing a mine-sweeping mission in the bay by invading Allied forces as part of the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 of World War I.
Naval ship "The Lundy" was built in 1908 in Beverley, England that a trawler owned by the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Company before the war. The 188-ton huge ship with a Smith brand engine was formerly used in unmilitary works, then used as a mine-sweeper under the command of Henry Charles Taylor, a volunteer to serve overseas with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
On Aug. 16, 1915, during an ammunition load, Lundy collided with Kalyan, a vessel trying to escape from Turkish gunfires, and sunk at the depths of Suvla. Lundy remains intact except for the damage at its stern.
Reminding that the Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park was brought to life with the Presidency of the Historical Site, Ersoy said: "This year, too, a large number of foreign tourists came to Çanakkale for diving. We hope that these numbers will increase even more next year."
Also highlighting the ship's intact form, Ersoy gave statements about his feelings when he dove into the wreckage. "First of all, it takes you back to those days as the ship remains intact. It's also very nice to dive in. I expected the water to be colder this season, but it wasn't cold," he added.
Opened in 2021, the underwater park has made it to the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites with its battlefields amid natural reefs. The park also features 20 diving locations, the Hellenistic Age wreck, a natural reef area and war wreckage are among the most interesting ones.
"Nearly 35,000 people attended the events held yesterday as part of the festival. Everything we do in Çanakkale echoes in people and we see that there was such a need for the cultural movement. It was welcomed with interest by everyone. There were high numbers of participation in many of the events, consisting of 20,000-25,000 people, especially in Çanakkale," he said.
