Martyrs on the Ertuğrul frigate, which set off for Turkish-Japanese friendship 132 years ago and sank in a storm on the way back, were commemorated with a ceremony held at the Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Cultural Center.
In his speech, Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Ahmet Hacıoğlu said that they commemorated the Ertuğrul Frigate martyrs with mercy, gratitude and respect.
Emphasizing that the martyrs of the Ertuğrul Frigate should always be remembered, Hacıoğlu said: “We have been trying to organize a commemoration program for the Ertuğrul Frigate martyrs for two years. Ertuğrul Frigate cavalry Lieutenant Colonel Ali Bey is from the Dedecik village of Tekirdağ. The name of the oldest settlement and neighborhood of Tekirdağ is Ertuğrul Mahallesi. Ertuğrul takes its name from the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Ertuğrul Gazi. The name of the frigate that sank in Japan in 1890 is Ertuğrul. The name of the most important ship in the Cyprus landing in 1975 is Ertuğrul. This ship also received the title of Gazi. In this sense, Ertuğrul is important to us. The most important thing for us is the name of the yacht that Atatürk came to Tekirdağ for the letter reform in 1928, Ertuğrul…”
Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University (NKU) History Department Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Hasan Demirhan also gave information to the participants about the Ertuğrul Frigate's departure and what happened during the sinking process.
Ertuğrul Frigate
1887
Japanese Prince Komatsu visited Istanbul in October after visiting European countries.
1889
Sultan II. At the request of Abdülhamit, the Ertuğrul frigate, which contained various gifts, was sent to Japan in response to Komatsu's visit.
The frigate under the command of Osman Pasha departed from Istanbul on 14 July 1889 with a crew of 612.
June 7, 1890
After 11 months of voyage, the ship arrived in Japan.
September 15, 1890
Having completed its visits in Japan and strengthening diplomatic relations, the frigate Ertuğrul left Yokohama to return to Istanbul.
September 16, 1890
The frigate Ertuğrul crashed into the rocks in Kashinozaki during the storm it was caught during the return course. Only 69 people survived the accident, and the rest of the crew were killed. Osman Pasha was among the martyrs. The bodies of the martyrs were buried near the Kashinozaki Lighthouse and a monument was built for the martyrs.
January 2, 1891
After the survivors recovered, they were brought to Istanbul by the warships Hiei and Kongo, which were commissioned by the Japanese Emperor. A memorial service was held by the Japanese on the first anniversary of the accident.
While the frigate Ertuğrul entrusted its martyrs to Japanese lands, this sad accident marked the beginning of Turkish-Japanese friendship. In the following years, it laid the groundwork for the establishment of sincere and friendly relations between the two countries.
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