Nearly 80,000 visit Türkiye’s largest warship

ISTANBUL

Nearly 80,000 people have visited Türkiye’s largest warship TCG Anadolu in a span of just one week before it bid adieu to its visitors on April 23.

Citizens showed great interest in the vessel opened to visitors after anchoring at the port of Sarayburnu on April 17, as more than 18,000 thronged the coast on the last day to see Türkiye’s first landing platform dock before it set off.

A total of 79,274 people visited the amphibious assault ship in just a week.

The TCG Anadolu rendered a 21-gun salute in honor of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan while sailing through the Bosphorus on its way to the Black Sea as the citizens along the coast of Istanbul followed its passage.

The vessel departed Sarayburnu and sailed past Dolmabahçe Palace.

More than being Türkiye’s first aircraft carrier, the ship will also be the world’s first vessel with an air wing mainly comprised of unmanned aircraft. It can carry helicopters, drones, land vehicles, light warcraft, and personnel.

The TCG Anadolu can carry a battalion-sized unit of 1,200 personnel, eight utility helicopters and three drones. Being able to transport 150 vehicles, including battle tanks, the ship would also help with military and humanitarian operations around the world, according to officials.

Its fully loaded displacement is 27,436 tons, and it measures 231 meters (758 feet) in length, 32 meters (105 feet) in width and 58 meters (190 feet) in height. It has a top speed of around 21 knots, a range of 9,000 nautical miles and can operate at sea for 50 days.