Film on Ertu?rul frigate to be released in December

'Ertu?rul 1890,' a film on historic relations between Turkey and Japan, will be released in December. Japanese director of the film, Mitsutoshi Tanaka says the idea to make the film emerged 10 years ago and that he has been seeking support since then A film featuring historic moments in Japanese-Turkish relations is set to premiere in December, while the teaser and poster of the film, titled "Ertu?rul 1890," were recently released.  

According to a written statement, the Turkey-Japan co-production tells two stories of solidarity, set in 1890 in Kushimoto and 1985 in Tehran. 

One of the stories is the touching story of the Ertu?rul Frigate, which sank in 1890 off the coast of Japan. The Ertu?rul Frigate was sent by Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II to give a gift to the Japanese emperor. While returning from the voyage, the frigate encountered a typhoon off the coast of the Wakayama Prefecture and sank on Sept. 16, 1890. The accident resulted in the loss of 533 sailors.

The other story is the rescue of 215 Japanese citizens during the Iran-Iraq war in 1985 upon the order of the Turkish prime minister of the time, Turgut Özal. The film will be released in Japan on Dec. 5 and in Turkey on Dec. 25. Filming for "Ertu?rul 1890" started in December 2014 in Japan. The film was produced by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Japanese Ertu?rul Film Partners and line producer Böcek Film. 

The script was written by Eriko Komatsu with the consultancy of Prof. ?skender Pala. Turkish actors Kenan Ece, Alican Yücesoy, U?ur Polat, Mehmet Özgür, Tamer Levent, Melis Babada?, Murat Serezli, Deniz Oral, Hakk? Haluk Cömert, Cem Cüceno?lu, Erkan Pekbay, Mert Aygün and Alper Düzen, while Japanese actors Seiyo Uchino...