Turkish container shipping company Turkon Line has deployed the 4,000 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered container ship "Kaşif Kalkavan" for its maiden voyage to India. The vessel, which is the first and largest LNG-powered container ship built in Turkey, set sail after completing its first call at Istanbul's Marport port.

The ship entered service on July 17, operating on Turkon's TRI route. This route connects Turkey, the Red Sea, and western India, and links with the carrier's broader network in Europe and the United States.

The "Kaşif Kalkavan" was built by Sedef Shipyard for Turkon Line and is the first of two 4,000 TEU container ships ordered from the yard. These two vessels are the largest newbuild projects for Turkon Line and are expected to increase its service capacity by more than 50%.

Classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the vessel measures 199.95 meters in length, 37.5 meters in width, with a service speed of 18 knots, and can carry 600 reefer containers. The ship can operate on LNG, marine gas oil (MGO), heavy fuel oil (HFO), very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), and ultra-low sulfur fuel oil (ULSFO). It is also equipped with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system and scrubbers to treat nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide emissions.

The ship is named after the late Turkish shipowner Kaşif Kalkavan, whose family founded the maritime business that later merged into Turkon Holding. Turkon Line was established in 1997 by Turkey's Kalkavan family, headquartered in Istanbul, and operates through 35 offices in 26 countries, calling at 40 ports across four continents. Sedef Shipyard has been a subsidiary of Turkon Holding since 2000, which is the parent company of the group's maritime and shipbuilding operations.