Savarona Yacht launched back to sea after maintenance

ISTANBUL

The famous yacht Savarona, which hosted modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the final years of his life, has been launched into the sea following the completion of maintenance and repair activities.

The renowned yacht’s drydocking maintenance and repair operations started last year on Sept. 19 in the Istanbul Shipyard Command’s drydock as part of the recommissioning efforts, with the Naval Forces launching the initiative.

The primary engines and the machine control system were maintained as part of the extensive maintenance and repair work that the shipyard personnel completed, adhering to the ship's original specifications.

Following the completion of the repairs meticulously carried out, the yacht was launched back into the sea for test runs.

The Defense Ministry had earlier announced that Savarona would be used for the sea training of Naval Academy students following the completion of the maintenance works, marking the yacht as Atatürk’s “moral heritage.”

The Savarona, whose Turkish flag was raised in Southampton in March 1938, was transported to Istanbul after restoration work. Atatürk, who was experiencing a difficult period of his illness, took his doctors' advice and spent roughly two months on the yacht. At that time, he hosted state visits and meetings on the ship.

After the press reports revealed that the yacht was dismantled in 1989, Savarona was first hired by Turkish businessperson and shipowner Kahraman Sadıkoğlu. Subsequently, Sadıkoğlu's company totally renovated the yacht, maintaining Atatürk’s room as a museum in its original state.

As Sadıkoğlu’s contract ended in 2013, the Culture and Tourism Ministry assumed control of the Savarona, later transferring it to the Naval Forces Command in the middle of 2019.

During the repair works carried out by the Naval Forces last year, it was claimed that a significant quantity of asbestos was used in the coatings, circuits, and insulation when the yacht was rented to Sadıkoğlu. Additionally, materials that did not meet the criteria were employed in the construction of its electrical cables and pipe circuits, local media then reported.

Following such a discovery, the Istanbul Shipyard Command began the decontamination of the affected areas at the end of last November, finishing the intense work this time of the year.