Turkey sails 15 warships through Bosphorus to celebrate historic naval triumph
A fleet of 15 Turkish naval vessels, including the domestically built frigate TCG Istanbul, paraded in the Bosphorus on Sept. 27 to mark the 488th anniversary of the Ottoman victory at Preveza.
On Sept. 27, Istanbul’s Bosphorus hosted a 15-ship naval parade organized by the Defense Ministry, commemorating the 488th anniversary of the 1538 Battle of Preveza, celebrated as Turkish Naval Forces Day. The procession comprised 13 Turkish Navy vessels and two submarines, with the newly built frigate TCG Istanbul among them, and they sailed past the Barbaros Monument in the Beşiktaş district, rendering a ceremonial salute to the admiral’s tomb.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, speaking at a reception for Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, praised the fleet’s strength, domestic design and production of warships, submarines, unmanned vessels and advanced systems. He linked these capabilities to national determination and the defense industry’s progress. The parade came shortly after the “Denizkurdu-I” drill, which deployed about 100 ships, 50 aircraft and 14,000 personnel across the Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and eastern Mediterranean for readiness and live-fire training.
Why it matters
The display showcases Turkey's growing naval self-sufficiency and signals its maritime ambitions in regional waters.
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