İnebolu exhibits sole surviving Turkish War of Independence infantry boat

The only known example of a ‘piyade kayığı’ (infantry boat) used during the Turkish War of Independence is currently being exhibited in the garden of the İnebolu Courthouse in Kastamonu.

During the struggle between 1919 and 1924, ammunition arriving from various locations, including Istanbul and Russia, was transported via the Black Sea to İnebolu. While larger ‘denk’ boats were typically used, these smaller infantry boats were essential for landing supplies during stormy weather when larger vessels could not be deployed. Once landed, the ammunition was transported to Ankara via horse-drawn carts.

Due to the critical role played by the İnebolu Boatmen's Guild in this logistics operation, the district was awarded a second Independence Medal by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Local carpenter Mehmet Aksoy, who works to preserve the tradition of building these historical vessels, completed the current exhibition model by adhering to the original design, noting that it took approximately six months to craft.