The First Ships Purchased from Abroad After WWII

During the Second World War, Turkey’s demand for transportation increased. However, due to the war, it was not possible to purchase ships or order new ships from abroad. For this reason, Turkey tried to meet its needs with the merchant fleet, which it could not find the chance to renew and strengthen during the years of the war. After the war, steps were taken to purchase and build ships from the USA and Europe.

For this purpose, a purchasing commission consisting of bureaucrats and technocrats was established. This commission was also known as the “Zincirkıran Commission” by the public because Fuat Zincirkıran, the General Manager of State Railways and Ports, was the chairman of the commission. The members of the commission were Şaban Dağ, Deputy Director General of State Railways and Ports, Rıza Şahenk, Chair of the Finance and Accountancy Department, Hakkı Tomsu, Chief Engineer of Traction Department, Feyzullah Ülgür, an engineer from the State Railways, Fahri Tanman, an engineer MSc of the State Maritime Administration Haliç Plant Manager, Şefik Gögen (captain) and Süheyl Peyker (machinist).

Activities of the Zincirkıran Commission

The Zincirkıran Commission purchased 19 ships in total: 2 freighters from Sweden (Ödemiş, Edirne) and 2 tankers from the USA (Sivas, Kocaeli), 7 passenger ships (Istanbul, Ankara, Tarsus, Adana, Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon) and 8 freighters (Kastamonu, Kars, Malatya, Rize, Ardahan, Hopa, Yozgat, Çoruh) It can be said that the changing and developing conditions and needs, such as purchasing only a cargo or cruise ship rather than “mixed ships”, that is, the ships that carried passenger and cargo together, and ships that used diesel rather than coal as fuel were taken into account while purchasing.

The presence of tankers in cargo ships was drawing attention. Likewise, it can be said that the freighters were purchased for long-distance cruises rather than cabotage transportation. The cruise ships which were purchased could not be used only on the cabotage line. Especially because of the loss of passenger ships due to the Second World War, the relatively large and luxurious passenger ships that joined the fleet due to the increasing demand in the Mediterranean basin began to be used in the Mediterranean for cruise purposes for the first time, apart from the cabotage line. These ships which were purchased by the Zincirkıran Commission were followed by new freighters and cruise ships ordered in the 1950s. Thus, with the establishment of DB Turkish Maritime Bank TAO in 1952, opportunities to Show a greater presence in passenger transportation and to enable DB Maritime Transport TAŞ to operate in 1955 emerged.

One of the most beautiful and luxurious ships of the time, Tarsus operated on the Mediterranean route for many years and made touristic voyages to the USA between 14 June and 16 August 1954.

Among the ships purchased by the Zincirkıran Commission, especially the passenger ships was the most popular and well-known ones and served for many years. Istanbul and Adana ships were built at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company looms in Virginia, the USA in 1932. These 5.236-gross-ton ships were 123 meters long and 17.6 meters wide. The ships with a draft of 9.6 meters had triple steam turbines with 6.500 horsepower. Ships with single propulsion could speed up to 16 miles per hour. The ship, which was first called Çankırı and then Adana, previously operated between New York and Central America ports as Monterey, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Istanbul, on the other hand, was previously called Colombia and Mexico. Of these two beautiful ships, which operated on domestic and international routes for many years, Istanbul was taken out of service in 1966 and Adana in 1967.

Ankara was a legendary ship. It was built at the looms of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Virginia, the USA in 1927. It weighed 6.179 gross tons. Its length was 124.7 meters, its width was 18.9 meters, and the water it drew was 9.6 meters. The ship, which had two 8.500 horsepower steam turbines, had double propulsion and could speed up to 19 miles per hour. The ship, which first carried passengers under the name Iroquois, was used as a hospital ship in the American navy under the name Solace AH5 during the Second World War. The ship, which arrived in Turkey in 1949 and was named Ankara, was the most popular ship of the Mediterranean line then. It was out of service in 1979.

The Sad End of the Tarsus Ship

Tarsus was a ship that left its mark with its sad end. The ship, which was previously called Exochorda and built at the looms of New York S.B. Co. In Camden, the USA in 1931, weighed 9.298 gross tons. With a length of 138.9 meters, a width of 18.7 meters and a draft of 8.3 meters, the ship had a steam turbine of 7.200 horsepower and had a single propeller. The ship, which was also operated by the American Land Forces under the name Harry Lee, was renamed Tarsus in 1948. One of the most beautiful and luxurious ships of the time, Tarsus operated on the Mediterranean route for many years and made touristic voyages to the USA between 14 June and 16 August 1954. It operated as an exhibition ship for once. Tarsus had an accident while anchored in İstinye Bay. On 14 December 1960, the Yugoslavian flagged Peter Zoranic collided with the Greek flagged tanker World Harmony in the Bosphorus between Kanlıca and Tokmak point. Tarsus was also burned in the fire. After the accident that killed two sailors, Tarsus was scrapped and taken to Italy for dismantling.

The first diesel passenger ships to join the maritime trade fleet after the Second World War were the identical ships Giresun, Ordu and Trabzon. Among the ships purchased from the USA in 1949, Ordu was built in 1937, Giresun and Trabzon were built at Nakskov Skibs A/S benches in Nakskov, Denmark in 1938. The 6.790-gross-ton ships were 134.2 meters long and 17.8 meters wide.

Among the ships purchased by the Zincirkıran Commission, especially the passenger ships was the most popular and wellknown ones and served for many years.

The ships, which could draw 10.3 meters of water, had diesel engines made in Italy, Turin, Fiat Grandi Motori, with 6 thousand horsepower. Ships with a single propulsion could speed up to 14 miles per hour. Among the ships with a capacity of 528 passengers, Giresun previously operated under the name Aconcagua, the Ordu ship operated under the name Copiapo, and the Trabzon ship operated under the name under the name Imperial.

The high-speed ships of this time, which operated as Izmir and Black Sea vessels, carried especially the expatriates from the Black Sea to home. Ordu, which was very popular among these ships, was out of service after the fire that broke out off Kurucaşile on October 11, 1969. Giresun, on the other hand, retired in the mid-1970s, and Trabzon was handed over to the Naval Forces in 1967. The ship, named Erkin II, was used as a headquarters and a school ship. While being used as the main ship of the submarine, it burned down in 1982 and was dismantled in Aliağa.