'Heroes of a Great Naval Victory' panel held at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum: The Gonca ship is now at the museum!

12punto.com.tr - Samet SAĞLAM

The program, held at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Hasköy, Istanbul, began at 2:00 PM with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem. Following the opening speech by RMK Museum General Manager Mine Sofoğlu, Admiral Cem Gürdeniz gave a presentation on the “Gallipoli Naval Victory.” Colonel Bora Serdar recounted the “Life Story of the Selanik Minelayer (Gonca),” and Prof. Dr. Murat Karataş delivered a presentation titled “Events of March 18, 1915, and 19th Division Commander Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal.” Research Assistant Buğra Terzi shared details about the events on the Anafartalar front during the period when the “Fiat Zero” vehicle was assigned to Colonel Mustafa Kemal.

Highlights from Sofuoğlu's speech are as follows:

NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD

“I am very proud to be here with you today. We are here to once again remember the meaning and importance of the March 18 Martyrs' Remembrance Day and Naval Victory, to commemorate our past, and to pass it on to future generations.”

Promising a journey into the past through the museum's valuable collections, the Gonca and the Fiat Zero, Sofuoğlu emphasized that the Gonca played a critical role as a minelayer during the Gallipoli Wars. She also shared the good news that the ship, which was decommissioned in 1992 and brought back to life through restoration by the museum, has been nominated for an award by a classic boat magazine.

Sofuoğlu concluded her speech by saying, “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this success, especially the late Erol Ersan, the team that worked on the restoration, and the ship's former captain, Mr. Atagül. We are also grateful to Kamil Yüksel and his team, who keep the ship in high quality today, for their dedication.”

Cem Gürdeniz, who began his speech by saying, “Welcome, thank you for being here today and for being part of a very valuable and important day,” touched upon the importance of the March 18 Gallipoli Naval Victory and mentioned the advantages of holding the event on a Sunday instead of Monday, when the museum is closed.

Gürdeniz drew attention to two precious mementos in the museum dating back 109 years: the Selanik Minelayer and the Fiat Zero automobile. He stated that these historical artifacts were actively used at that time and that Atatürk, or rather Colonel Mustafa Kemal, used the Fiat Zero as the Anafartalar Group Commander. He also mentioned that the detailed story of the Selanik Minelayer would be presented by researcher Bora Serdar.

"WE WILL MEET HERE EVERY MARCH 18"

Admiral Gürdeniz announced the beginning of a new tradition, saying, “Because these two very precious mementos are in our museum, we will make this a tradition from now on and meet here every March 18.” He extended his thanks to Mine Sofoğlu, the Gallipoli Wars Institute, and Prof. Dr. Murat Karataş for the museum's facilities and the preservation of historical mementos. Emphasizing the importance of preserving history in Turkey, Gürdeniz said, “History can be preserved through coincidences; we always say this. Coincidences also reveal the result,” and expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the preservation of historical artifacts through these coincidences.

At the beginning of his speech, Colonel Bora Serdar provided information that the Selanik ship was one of the ships that served in mine operations on the Gallipoli front during World War I.

He focused on the fact that the Selanik and Gonca ships are often confused and that some believe they are the same ship.

“That is why the naval forces have conducted the necessary research on this subject,” he said.

Prof. Dr. Murat Karataş, in his speech at 3:50 PM, drew attention to the importance of the Gallipoli Wars. Karataş said, “First of all, I would like to thank Ms. Mine and Mr. Cem for this meaningful event. Gallipoli stands out as one of the fronts won in the First World War, and we see this victory as a joint success achieved from the air, land, and sea.”

Emphasizing Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's role in the Gallipoli Wars, Karataş stated, “When Atatürk was a lieutenant colonel, he was appointed to the Maydos Regional Command on February 25, 1915, and took on a significant responsibility as the only commander in charge of the region up to Seddülbahr.”

He also noted that the photograph published in the Tasviri Efkar newspaper, showing Mustafa Kemal and Cevat Pasha together, contributed to Mustafa Kemal being seen as a hero.

Karataş's analysis once again highlighted the historical importance of the Gallipoli Wars and the leadership qualities of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Research Assistant Buğra Terzi gave a presentation on the history of the Selanik Minelayer. Terzi said, “After the Selanik ship began service, it undertook important tasks and continued to serve after being repurchased by the Ottoman administration,” and touched upon the view that the Gonca, currently exhibited in the museum, is actually based on the Selanik 2 ship.

Terzi explained the research process conducted through foreign sources to find the history and model of the Fiat Zero automobile and enriched his presentation with visuals from the manual. This research contained information confirming the model of the Fiat Zero, and this information made the historical importance of the automobile even more prominent.

While the question-and-answer session was canceled due to time constraints, plaques were presented to the grandchildren of the Nusret ship captains during the event. The ambassador was also invited to the stage for a photo session. The panel speakers were invited to the stage. Gifts were presented.

The panel concluded with a group photo taken in front of the Fiat and the Gonca.

THE STORY OF THE SELANIK (GONCA) SHIP

During the First World War, the ship was converted into a minelayer by the Ottoman Navy and used for this purpose. It took an active role during the Gallipoli War and remained intact.

After the war, it was towed to Gonca Bay at the Military Naval Base near Gölcük, took its current name, and began to be used as a transport ship by the Turkish Naval Forces. The ship, which ceased operations in 1989, was saved from destruction by the Rahmi M. Koç Museum and Culture Foundation. The renovation of the Gonca was carried out in Tuzla, Istanbul, in 1993, and the ship was launched as a luxury yacht in 1997. Currently, the ship is on display at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum.

News Source: Samet Sağlam