Underwater work in Ertu?rul frigate starts

This year's underwater project started on Jan 15 in the Ertu?rul frigate in the Japanese city of Kushimoto, where the frigate sank. The new season's program was recently launched at a press conferenceThe 2016 program of the underwater excavation of the Ertu?rul frigate, which sank near Japan's city of Kushimoto and caused the death of 550 Turkish sailors, kicked off on Jan. 15 and will continue until Feb. 15. 

At a press conference, held recently in the western province of Mu?la's Bodrum district, the Bodrum Culture and Arts Foundation (BOSAV) President and head of Ertu?rul frigate excavation, Tufan Turanl?, said excavation work had been ongoing in the frigate since 2007. 

He said that the film "Ertu?rul 1890," which was released last month, aroused interest; 11 exhibitions were opened in Turkey and Japan, and more than 800 news articles and TV programs talked about the tragic event. 

Speaking about this year's program, Turanl? said, "There are two brand new plans that we want to realize this year. First is to establish the Mobile Ertu?rul Laboratory to keep the memories of the Ertu?rul martyrs alive. We have been organizing educational and promotional events for students at the Ertu?rul Research Center in Kushimoto for years. We will organize the same events in other Japanese cities. Kushimoto is the very southern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. Transportation to this mountainous city is hard. This is why we will establish the Mobile Ertu?rul Laboratory and carry the service to Japanese schools in other parts of the country. We want to make the Japanese youth love the sea and history as well as keep the martyrs' memory alive.  Our biggest wish is to bring this mobile lab to Turkey in the coming years for our students to...