Divers damage shipwreck off Kemer

Visitors diving at the area a sunken French warship, "Paris 2," located off the southern province of Antalya are causing damage by taking pieces from the ship as souvenirs.

The location of the French warship "Paris 2," which was sunk by the Turkish navy during World War I off the coast of the Kemer district, was discovered in 1995. The 50-meter-long ship became a significant diving spot after its discovery.

Every year, hundreds of people visit Kemer to dive in the area where the shipwreck is located. Academic Mehmet Gökoğlu stated that due to these numbers, visitors cause significant damage to the wreck.

Stressing that due to its location and depth, the area of the shipwreck is one of the world's important diving tourism sites, Gökoğlu said, "Some ammunition is still on it and in its holds. Previously, the wreck was sitting on the sand in its original condition."

Noting that since the discovery of the wreck, boats have been anchored to its bow, Gökoğlu said that during dives with his team, they observed numerous areas of damage on the wreck.

"There are tiles on the ship. Every year we used to count those tiles. This year, we noticed a decrease. Some visitors take objects from the wreck as souvenirs. Fishing nets thrown into the sea by fishermen are also present on the wreck. These nets need to be removed without causing damage to the ship," Gökoğlu said.

Pointing out that the wreck serves as an artificial reef, and therefore, many marine organisms live on it, the expert said, "We need to protect this place. The wreck is deteriorating over time. We need to eliminate factors that accelerate this deterioration."