Gulf of Saros

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Saros Bay or Gulf of Saros is an inlet of the northern Aegean Sea located north of the Gallipoli Peninsula in northwestern Turkey.

The bay is 75 km long and 35 km wide. Far from industrialized areas and thanks to underwater currents, it is a popular summer recreation resort with sandy strands and crystal-clear sea. Scuba diving and fishing are the most practiced water sports here.

Settlements around the bay are: Gökçetepe, Mecidiye, Erikli, Danışment, Yayla, Karaincirli, Vakıf, Büyükevren, Sultaniçe, Gülçavuş and Enez, all in Edirne Province. The islands of Gökçeada (Imbros) and Samothrace lie in the Aegean Sea just outside of Saros Bay.

The North Anatolian Fault Zone, the most prominent active fault in Turkey and the source of numerous large earthquakes throughout the history, passes through Gulf of İzmit and traverses Marmara Sea reaching to the Saros Bay to the southeast.^[1]

[edit] Trivia

The bay served long time as a place for NATO's amphibious exercises. In the fall of 1992, The Turkish destroyer TCG Muavenet (DM-357) was hit by two Sea Sparrow missiles fired by the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Saratoga during a NATO exercise held in the bay. The incident cost the life of several Turkish officers, while many others aboard were injured seriously.^[2]