The “ship of death”. This is how Turkey nicknamed the former Foch aircraft carrier sold to the Brazilian navy 20 years ago to become the Sao Paulo. This ship was to be deconstructed by a Turkish scrap dealer, but the harmful materials it contains pose an environmental risk that Murat Kurum, the Turkish Minister for the Environment, refuses to take on.
The news was released while the ship was sailing off Morocco being towed by a Dutch tugboat. The minister also issued an official statement in a tweet to explain Ankara’s decision. Turkey has been requesting a new inventory of hazardous materials for several years, which Brazil has not provided.
Asbestos and radioactive particles
This demand is mainly based on the actions carried out by environmental protection associations. A collective complaint has been filed by seven associations and about forty people who suspect more serious environmental consequences than those listed in the report provided by Brasilia.
According to the NGO Ban Abestos France, only 12% of the ship has been studied and reports underestimate the amount of asbestos.
On the other hand, Ban Abestos points out that Sao Paulo was “involved in atmospheric nuclear tests in the Pacific.”
the hot potato
The aircraft carrier is now a thorn in the side of Brazil, but also of France. Will Sao Paulo be returned to its sender, Brazil, or will the hot potato be delivered to France as proposed by the Turkish collective’s lawyer who believes that “each country should take charge of the buildings that it built itself.”
Foch’s future is now more than uncertain. The vessel has already been coveted. First, that of Rear Admiral Mustafa Cihat Yayci, former Chief of Staff of the Turkish Navy. He proposed to “re-equip it to train personnel for future Turkish aircraft carriers”. Proposal rejected.
There was also the Udo Stern project. This former Lufthansa board member proposed transforming this warship into a luxurious offshore hotel complex with a nine-hole golf course that could be transformed into a ski slope with artificial snow during the winter. Proposal also rejected.
Will a plan B be announced, as was the case of the Clémenceau, which was going to be removed and dismantled in India? Blockaded by Egypt before passing the Suez Canal, she returned to Brest before being taken over by a British company.
Source: BFM TV
