Turquoise was one of six Émeraude-class submarines built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) in the first decade of the 20th century.

The Émeraude class were built as part of the French Navy's 1903 building program to a Maugas single-hull design.

[2] For surface running, the boats were powered by two Sautter-Harlé 300-metric-horsepower (296 bhp; 221 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft.

[1] Turquoise was laid down in October 1903[5] at the Arsenal de Toulon, launched on 3 August 1908 and commissioned on 10 December 1910.

[6] During World War I, Turquoise was received a direct hit to her periscope in the Dardanelles off Nagara Point, Ottoman Empire, on 30 October 1915 by an artillery corporal named Müstecip while traveling on the surface.