Chuck Norris visits Kuşadası with his yacht

AYDIN - Demirören News Agency

Following his vacation on his private yacht in the Aegean Sea, martial arts expert-turned film star Chuck Norris has anchored off the coast of Kuşadası, a famous holiday destination in the province of Aydın.

He visited the House of the Virgin Mary, where he made pilgrimage, and the ancient city of Ephesus in the neighboring province of İzmir’s Selçuk district.

Walking around the bazaar in Ephesus, Norris took souvenir photos with his fans and bought silver jewelry.

His vacation will continue two more days on the Turkish coast.

Meanwhile, four cruise ships, Malta-flagged Azamara and Celestyal Olimpia, Panama-flagged MSC Lirica and Bahama-flagged Star Legent docked at Kuşadası’s Aegean Port, bringing a total of 3,500 tourists.

Some of the passengers toured the ancient city of Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary, while the others shopped in the city center.

Italian-flagged Costa Venezia was also set to arrive in Kuşadası on Sept. 21.

Over 70 ships will be arrive in Kuşadası by the end of September, while 80 more are expected in October, said Aziz Güngör, East Med Ports Regional Director at Global Ports Holding.

The cruise season, which started in January this year, will last until December, he added.

“We managed to sustain cruise tourism in Kuşadası for 12 months. We aim not to let the shopkeepers in Kuşadası shut their doors for whole year,” he said.

Born in 1940, Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline Chun Kuk Do.

Shortly after, in Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts, after which he became a popular action film star.