Brazilian Aircraft Carrier to Become "SS Razor Blades" in Turkey

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 28 March 2021)

         "Set a course for StarBase Aliağa, Mr. Sulu"

Ships from around the world that have passed their prime come to the 

shipyard at Aliağa in Izmir province to be torn apart and recycled. Now,

Aliağa will host an(other) aircraft carrier.

The "Love Boat" of TV fame (1977-1987), a.k.a. the 171-meter "Pacific

Princess", came to Aliağa in 2013 to be broken up.  Aliağa is ranked 

third in the world, after shipyards in Bangladesh and India, for this kind 

of work.  The "HMS Illustrious", a British Navy aircraft carrier came to

Aliağa in 2013, too.  Now another aircraft carrier is on its way - the "Nae

Sao Paulo" of the Brazilian Navy will arrive in June.

 

                              Maritime reincarnation.

The "Nae Sao Paulo" began its life in 1963 as the "Foch" in the French

Navy and was sold to Brazil in 2000.  SÖK Denizcilik, with 30 years of

experience, purchased the "put out to pasture" aircraft carrier, which is

265 meters in length and 32 meters wide.  The ship was sold to Cormack

Maritime, which has an office in Rio de Janeiro, on behalf of SÖK 

Denizcilik, for $1,880,000.  Cormack's director Jorge Cormack said that

the "Nae Sao Paulo" would be brought to Aliağa in June.

Aliağa was selected as an approved buyer because it meets European 

Union regulations related to recycling facilities.  Between 600,000 and 

750,000 tons of metal are recycled from ships broken up at Aliağa annually.

  

                              "Ahoy there matey!"

On the other hand, retired Turkish Admiral Cihat Yaycı, currently the

director of Bahçeşehir University's Maritime and Global Strategies

Center, argued that the aircraft carrier should be used for training in the

Turkish Navy, rather than broken apart.