Swimmers race for friendship between Greece and Turkey

ANTALYA

Swimmers from 12 nations swam 7.1 kilometers from the small Greek island of Kastellorizo (Megisti) to Turkey’s resort town of Kaş as part of the 22nd International Lycia-Kaş Culture and Art Festival.

Twenty-year-old Turkish swimmer Nilay Erkal broke the record of the competition, which has been organized since 2005, with 1 hour and 32 minutes. Prior to the race, she had been the record holder with 1 hour and 37 minutes.

Erkal was also the winner of the same course for the last three years.

“These strokes serve friendship, peace and fraternity,” said Kaş Mayor Mutlu Ulutaş, who started the race along with Kastellorizo Mayor George Samsakos.
Some 33 women and 147 men, including Hürriyet Daily News Editor-in-Chief Gökçe Aytulu and daily Hürriyet editor Serkan Ocak, attended the race this year. Aytulu ranked second in his age group with 2 hours and 15 minutes.

In the overall men’s categories, Bekir Emrah Gemicioğlu was the winner with 1 hour and 40 minutes. He was trailed by Mustafa Çağlar Coşkun and Emrah Karaboğa.

In the overall women categories, record-breaker Erkal was followed by Norwegian swimmer Linn Flatli with 1 hour and 57 minutes. Another Turkish swimmer, Özen Sanem Dilek, placed third with 2 hours and 6 minutes.