More than 70 years ago in the Dardanelles Strait, the Turkish submarine Dumlupinar sank after colliding with a Swedish vessel during NATO war games. Rescuers managed to establish contact with the trapped sailors, but attempts to save them failed due to strong currents and fragile communication cables. All 81 crew members aboard the diesel-electric vessel perished, and the site was officially declared a naval graveyard.
In a daring expedition, Ozzy Kurtoglu, a deep-sea diver and owner of the Wave gas station in East Moriches, was part of a team that dove to the submarine wreck, documenting the site and leaving a commemorative plaque to honor the fallen sailors.
Kurtoglu’s preparation was meticulous: sonar surveys pinpointed the submarine’s location at nearly 300 feet, remote-operated vehicles mapped the wreck, and a mixed-gas dive allowed him to observe the vessel firsthand. “The experience was solemn. We treated it as a naval graveyard and paid our respects,” the diver said. “I had to create a bridge between fallen sailors and families. There were very intense moments; we all teared up.”
Born in Turkey, Kurtoglu trained at Santa Barbara City College’s Marine Diving Technology program before launching a global career in commercial diving. He worked on pipeline installations, sewage and water infrastructure, and salvage operations across the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Caspian. The submarine mission was one of his most challenging, requiring careful planning, specialized equipment, and extensive knowledge of mixed-gas diving, which uses a blend of helium and enriched oxygen.
The Dumlupinar had been returning to Istanbul after participating in NATO exercises when it collided with the Swedish cargo ship Naboland. Though some crew initially survived in the rear torpedo compartment, rescue operations could not overcome the extreme currents and structural limitations of the submarine. Kurtoglu’s dive captured the site on film for the first time, honoring the crew’s memory and preserving the story for history.