Select units of the Turkish navy, including its multipurpose amphibious assault ship, took part in a spectacular parade along Istanbul’s coastline on August 24 as part of the “Teknofest Blue Homeland” event, highlighting Türkiye’s naval strength.
The fleet featured the flagship TCG Anadolu, TCG Savarona, and the TCG Hızırreis submarine, according to event organizers, The Caspian Post informs via Turkish media.
Sailing between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (GMT+3), the ships departed from the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and passed key Bosporus districts such as Sarıyer, Tarabya, Emirgan, Kanlıca, Rumeli Hisarı, Kandilli, Bebek, and Ortaköy, before arriving at Dolmabahçe Palace via the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan greeted the fleet. The parade then proceeded along the shores of Moda, Caddebostan, and Maltepe.
Teknofest Blue Homeland activities are scheduled for Aug. 30-31 at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command. The program will feature ship model exhibitions, VR experience zones, commando demonstrations, boat races, and a ship design workshop. As Türkiye’s leading aerospace and technology fair, Teknofest has extended its “National Technology Initiative” to the maritime sphere, with Blue Homeland focusing on naval and underwater innovations. Visitors will enjoy free access to competitions such as the “Unmanned Underwater Systems Competition,” “Underwater Rocket Competition,” and “Unmanned Marine Vehicle Competition.”
Attendees will also be able to tour major naval platforms, including the TCG Anadolu and TCG Piri Reis, explore the “Turkish Maritime History Time Tunnel,” and attend conferences and exhibitions centered on maritime and defense industries. “Blue Homeland” itself is a doctrine devised by two former Turkish naval officers, outlining Türkiye’s maritime jurisdictions, EEZs, and continental shelf in accordance with UN resolutions.
A promotional video titled “We Are Starting,” shared on Türkiye’s new social platform Next Sosyal, showed Baykar’s Bayraktar drones aboard the TCG Anadolu ahead of the parade. Another highlight of the recent procession was the participation of the Savarona yacht, a symbol linked to the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In a symbolic gesture, the yacht sailed alongside national navy vessels, with 13 university students boarding from Sarıyer on coast guard boats to take part in the event, Anadolu Agency reported.
The students were briefed on the Savarona’s history, its restoration, and the Bosporus parade. They also observed rehearsals. “It’s a great opportunity for us to have this legacy, a legacy bequeathed to us by Atatürk, renovated and presented to us,” said Tayfun Işıkelekoğlu, a student at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).
Over the past two decades, Türkiye has significantly expanded its domestic defense industry, producing drones, communications technologies, submarines, MILGEM warships, and commissioning its first amphibious assault ship, TCG Anadolu. Teknofest has become a showcase for these achievements, held across major Turkish cities including Ankara, Izmir, Adana, and Istanbul, as well as once in Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
According to Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairperson of the T3 Foundation Board of Trustees, a nine-ship convoy would pass through the Bosporus. “We will explain to the society what the Blue Homeland is,” he said. Speaking to CNN TÜRK aboard the TCG Anadolu, Bayraktar added: “We are currently on the Teknofest Blue Homeland passage. We are on the TCG Anadolu. We have a national frigate. We have a submarine. It will be a convoy featuring the distinguished works of our navy.”
He emphasized that the event coincides with Türkiye’s Aug. 30 Victory Day celebrations. “An event with competitions is also being held as part of the Teknofest Blue Homeland. The Bosporus pass will take place shortly thereafter. The ships will (then) go to Istanbul Shipyard,” he explained. “We are waiting for our entire nation,” Bayraktar added, noting that visitors are welcome from Aug. 30 to Aug. 31.
