The construction works began on 30 April 2016 at the shipyard of Sedef Shipbuilding Inc. in Istanbul, with the keel being laid on 7 February 2018.

[37] According to the original plan, the Turkish Navy wanted a slightly shorter flight deck without the ski-jump ramp in front, to be optimized for use with only helicopters.

[11] The Turkish Navy later changed its plan and opted for a fully equipped flight deck with the ski-jump ramp in front, after deciding to purchase F-35B STOVL aircraft.

The Turkish Air Force was intending to get the F-35A CTOL version, until the U.S. Senate blocked the export of the fighter jet to Turkey due to its purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia, which is subjected to CAATSA sanctions.

[11] The ship has a 1,880 m2 (20,200 sq ft) light cargo garage for TEU containers and 27 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV);[11] a 1,165 m2 (12,540 sq ft) dock which can host four Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) or two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), or two Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP);[11] and a 1,410 m2 (15,200 sq ft) garage for heavy loads, which can host 29 main battle tanks (MBT), Amphibious Assault Vehicles, and TEU containers.

On 19 November 2024, Baykar Bayraktar TB3 UCAV successfully took-off from the flight deck of TCG Anadolu and landed on the ship.

[6][55][21][22][23] According to media reports in 2019, the construction of a sister ship, to be named TCG Trakya, was being planned by the Turkish Navy.

[56][57] However, the Turkish Navy gave priority to the construction of the indigenously-designed MUGEM-class aircraft carrier, which began on 2 January 2025.