The ship was pressed into service as a minelayer by the Ottoman navy in September 1911 during the Italo-Ottoman War and was not returned to her owners due to the fall of Salonica to Greece in the First Balkan War in 1912. In order to prevent the ship's capture by the Greeks, the Ottoman commander of the Salonica minelaying flotilla briefly transferred the ships to French registry, prompting an immediate diplomatic protest by the neutral French observers when the ships came under attack by the Greeks. "Selânik" and the other minelayers were then allowed safe passage out of the surrendering city by the Greeks before returning to the Ottoman flag upon passing through the Dardanelles.