Turkey: First diving takes place in scuttled plane

By Cihan Demirci

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) - First diving took place on Saturday to a passenger plane lowered into the sea a day earlier in northwestern Turkey to boost scuba diving tourism.

The divers took footage of the sunk plane, which has a length of 65 meters and wing width of 60 meters.

"The plane wreck will provide a great benefit to both nature and divers," Ozkan Arsu, Turkish Underwater Sports Federation representative of Edirne, told Anadolu Agency.

Arsu added this has created an alternative area for divers and diving tourism.

On Friday, the Airbus A330 passenger plane was scuttled a mile away off the Ibrice Port in Edirne province.

The aircraft is placed some 30-meter (98.4 feet) below the sea surface.

The airplane -- which made its first flight in 1995 and retired last year -- was brought to Kesan district of Edirne from Mediterranean resort city of Antalya in March.

Various objects, and figures representing Canakkale War were also sunk in the gulf as part of the artificial reef project.

* Writing by Beyza Binnur Donmez