A TURKISH tank which has served the country in both war and peace is to make one final contribution – by being sunk off the coast of one of Marmaris.

The 76-year-old M48 A5 T1 tank will be submerged in seven meters of water in the hope it will draw divers near and far.

Tuncer Uysal, the head of Marmaris Diving Centers’ Association, said the Defense Ministry had donated the tank, which had been stored in the Central Anatolian province of Konya.

“This tank was in many missions in World War II. It completed its mission after serving the Turkish Armed Forces for a long time,” Uysal said. “It will serve tourism, diving tourism and contribute to the ecosystem from now on,” he added.

Once a suitable spot has been identified, the tank will go to its final resting place with the help of special balloons.

“We have received many requests to shoot the moment of sinking from the air and underwater,” Uysal said. “It will be the first sunken tank in Marmaris and Turkey.”

In July 2016, an enormous Airbus A300 was submerged off the coast of Kuşadası. The sunken plane was intended to both attract divers and tourists, as well as to provide an artificial reef for marine wildlife.