Grenade event in Isparta, Lake Egirdir area, Turkey on Sun 17th September 2023

A team of experts from Istanbul have defused nine hand grenades found in the water on Lake Egirdir in the southern province of Isparta through a specialized detonation procedure. A man who had been swimming at Yazla Beach on the shores of Lake Egirdir reported spotting multiple hand grenades in the water to the police on Sept. 17, according to the local media. Upon receiving the report, police teams were dispatched to the area, and during the subsequent inspection, nine hand grenades were identified. The police cordoned off the area and implemented security measures on the beach. Assistance was sought from bomb disposal experts in Istanbul to remove the hand grenades from the water. Following an examination late on Sept. 18, the team decided to detonate the grenades in the water. Following extensive security measures taken in the vicinity, the hand grenades were detonated using a specialized mechanism on Sept. 19. Divers retrieved the fragments for further examination, while authorities announced that an investigation into the origin of the grenades was initiated. A similar incident recently occurred in Sile, a district of Istanbul situated along the Black Sea coast. Over two dozen unexploded artillery shells discovered on the Sile coast were disposed of, according to the Defense Ministry, which announced that the shells might be dating back to World War II.