The Ertugrul
More than 200 Japanese were left in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War. Just as they were beginning to lose hope of returning home, two airplanes from Turkey helped the Japanese out of Iran at the risk of being shot down. But the Japanese did not know why Turkey saved them. So, the Turkish Ambassador explained that it is because of the Ertugrul accident in 1890.
On September 16, 1890, Oshima Island in Wakayama was struck by a powerful typhoon.
A Turkish man whose ship had sunk was saved by Japanese lighthouse keepers. The other crew members were then immediately rescued by the townspeople. The Turkish ship’s name was Ertugrul.
The 69 Turkish survivors left Japan for their home country after spending three weeks in Kobe. The Japanese looked after the survivors despite not knowing Turkish. The Ertugrul brought Turkey and Japan together.