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 SSBandırma ship replica in Samsun | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Ottoman Empire | |
| Name |
|
| Builder | Paisley,Scotland |
| Launched | 1878 |
| Out of service | 1924 |
| Fate | Broken up |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 192 GRT |
| Length | 47.7 m (156 ft 6 in) |
SSBandırma was anOttomanmixed-freight ship, which became famous for her historical role in takingMustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk) fromConstantinople (today-Istanbul) toSamsun in May 1919 that marked the establishment of theTurkish national movement.
The steamerBandırma, built 1878 inPaisley,Scotland, was a 47.7-metre (156 ft) cargo ship with 192gross register tons capacity. It was christenedTrocadero, and under this name, it sailed five years long as a freighter for Dansey and Robinson.[1] In 1883, it was purchased byGreek ship-owner H. Psicha Preaus, and renamed SSKymi. 7 years later, it was sold to another Greek ship-owner, Cap. Andreadis, sailing under the same name. In 1891, it went down following an accident but could be floated again.
The Ottoman Maritime Co. purchased the ship in 1894, renamed it SSPanderma. It served in theSea of Marmara as a passenger-cargo vessel. On 28 October 1910, the company's status was changed, and it was renamed Ottoman Transportation Authority. The ship's name was also changed to SSBandırma,Turkish forPanderma, and it served then as a mail ship in the coastal waters of Ottoman Empire.
DuringWorld War I, SSBandırma collided with theBritishsubmarineHMS E11, and survived a torpedo attack from the same vessel.Bandırma was taken out of duty in 1924. It was sold 1925, and demolished in a shipyard inGolden Horn within four months.
It went into the history ofRepublic of Turkey, whenMustafa Kemal Pasha, who was appointed shortly before Inspector of theNinth Army Troops Inspectorate of the Ottoman Empire in easternAnatolia, left Constantinople with SSBandırma on 16 May 1919 forSamsun. He was sent to Anatolia bysultan's decree to oversee the process of disbanding theOttoman Army that was ordered by theEntente powers occupying the capital and controlling the Ottoman government.[citation needed]
Mustafa Kemal Pasha, accompanied with 22 officers, 25 soldiers, and 8 administrative staff sailed in heavy weather on the old steamer with a not functioning compass needed to navigate in the wavyBlack Sea, and set foot on land in Samsun on 19 May 1919. Upon landing, Mustafa Kemal Pasha started theTurkish national movement contrary to the orders given to him by the Ottoman government in İstanbul that resulted in the declaration of the Republic of Turkey after theTurkish War of Independence almost four years later.
In view of its important historical role in the birth of the Republic of Turkey, the governor and the mayor ofSamsun Province both initiated the rebuilding ofBandırma in original dimensions and outlook. The building of the replica by Taşkınlar Shipbuilding Co. started on 9 May 2000, and was completed on 15 April 2001. The newBandırma was opened as a museum ship by Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdoğan on 19 May 2003 at Doğu Park (East Park) in Samsun. Wax figures of Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his followers on the ship are on display along with historical items in the museum ship today.
41°16′24″N36°22′02″E / 41.27333°N 36.36722°E /41.27333; 36.36722
