AKDENIZ and AEOLOS KENTERIS at Aliaga © Eren Topcu

47-year-old ferry with Irish Sea origins arrives at Aliaga scrapyard

FerryThe 1979-built AKDENIZ, which has a history with B&I Line, Brittany Ferries and Jadrolinija, arrived at the scrapyard in Aliaga, Türkiye, in early August. AKDENIZ was delivered as CONNACHT by Ireland’s Verolme Cork Dockyard to the then Dublin-based ferry operator B&I Line for services across the Irish Sea.

The ferry was later acquired by Brittany Ferries, for which it operated as DUCHESSE ANNE. It remained with the company for eight years until 1996, when it was acquired by Jadrolinija and renamed DUBROVNIK.

The ferry changed hands again in 2023, when it was acquired by a company associated with A-Ships Management and renamed PRINCE ahead of deployment between Italy and Albania.

Its final sale for further operation took place in 2024, when it was acquired by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation for use as a humanitarian aid vessel off the Gaza Strip. It was on this occasion that the ferry received its current name.

aug 06 2026