The car and rail connection between Ankara and Teheran is via Lake Van in East Turkey; across the lake is a ferry connection between Tatvan on the Westside and Van on the Eastside of the lake.
Four ferries are used in the service, the ORHAN ATLIMAN, RAFET UNAL, TATVAN and VAN.
The first two are used for the transport of railway wagons, both have a track length of 156 meter, the other two are used for cars and passengers.
The vessel depict on the stamp must be the ORHAN ATLIMAN built in 1971; the other three were built after the stamp was issued.
All four vessels were built by D.B. Halic Tersanesi, Istanbul for the Turkish Government (Denizcilik Bankasi, Van Isletmesi)
Built in sections, and transported by train to Tatvan, where the sections were put together in a building dock.
ORHAN ATLIMAN, tonnage given as 1.918 gross, 984 net, dim. 81.8 x 14.5 x 3.3m. (draught). Length bpp. 75.0 meters.
Powered by two Enterprise diesels each 1.900 bhp.
01 June 1971 completed.
2007 All four ferries still in service, now owned by TCDD Van Golu Isletmesi.
Turkey 1971 110k sg 2388, scott?
Source: Blauwe Wimpel. Turkish National Register of 1985. http://www.turkship.net/ships/?I=752