TCG Kınalıada of the Turkish navy will follow in the footsteps of the Ertuğrul frigate, the Ottoman vessel that made a legendary journey to Japan in the 19th century, as Türkiye and Japan mark the bicentenary of their ties.
The 99-meter-long corvette set out from Türkiye on April 8 for a Far East journey that also made calls at ports of countries with close ties to Türkiye. This is the fourth major journey by a Turkish naval vessel to Japan on the occasion, part of a tradition that began in 1990. TCG Gediz was the last Turkish naval ship to follow the same route in 2015.
Kınalıada will be at sea for more than four months and visit 24 ports in 20 countries before arriving in Japan. A chance for the Turkish navy to raise its profile, the journey is also dedicated to memories of Turkish sailors who died aboard Ertuğrul when it sank in 1890.
The Ottoman Empire launched the Japan trip for Ertuğrul, which bears the name of the father of the empire's founder Osman, to Japan two years after Japan's Prince Komatsu paid his country's first official visit to Istanbul, which was the capital of the empire. The ship departed Istanbul in July 1889 with 609 crew members. After stopovers in Egypt, Yemen, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong and several Japanese cities, it arrived in Yokohama 11 months later. Osman Paşa, who led the Ottoman delegation, was received by Emperor Meiji and presented the emperor with a letter from Sultan Abdülhamid II and a medal. The frigate left Japan on Sept. 15, 1890, after the Ottoman delegation held talks with Japanese officials.
Adverse weather aggravated by a typhoon proved a challenge for the ship and it crashed on the rocks near Kushimoto on Sept. 16, 1890. Sixty-nine sailors aboard survived, but 550 others aboard died when the boat sank. The survivors were rescued by the locals of Kushimoto. Türkiye still remembers the hospitality and assistance of the Japanese public and the government after the incident. Survivors were sent home about one month later by the Japanese government aboard two Japanese warships that dropped them at Çanakkale, southwest of Istanbul. The ships also stayed in Türkiye for a few months as guests of the Ottoman Empire before they returned to Japan. One year later, Japan erected a monument in memory of the perished Ottoman sailors in Kushimoto. Türkiye restored the monument in 1937, and to this day, remembrance events are held in memory of Ertuğrul.
Korkut Güngen, Turkish ambassador in Tokyo, said they were trying to move forward Turkish-Japanese ties dating back to the second half of the 19th century, based on the same understanding and emotions back then. "We have common will to that extent and value our friendship," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Friday. He said they were looking to expand their ties in every field, particularly in economy, politics, culture and, hopefully, the defense industry.
Güngen said naval forces have been a staple of relations, reminding us that Prince Takamatsu, hosted by the Republic of Türkiye’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was a member of the Japanese navy. He said they were excited to host TCG Kınalıada. He noted that the ship will also help promote Türkiye’s defense products and relations through its port visits.
The vessel will first stop by Kushimoto to attend a ceremony for sailors who died aboard Ertuğrul. It will then head to Tokyo and Hiroshima.