World champion biker rides his motorcycle to meet Turkish President

ISTANBUL

Kenan Sofuoğlu surprised everyone riding his motorcycle to the Tarabya Palace in Istanbul on Oct. 11. He is expected to finish the season in second place behind his British rival Sam Lowes with only one race to go. AA photo

Triple World Supersport motorcycle champion, Kenan Sofuoğlu, rode his bike to the Presidential Office in Istanbul, arguably breaking all protocol codes under the baffled eyes of the personnel, for a friendly meeting with President Abdullah Gül on Oct. 11.

Sofuoğlu said following the meeting that Gül called him after his victory in the Istanbul leg of the championship three weeks ago, inviting him to the Tarabya Palace.

“[After Istanbul] I also won the race in France. I wasn’t having the season that I expected to have. But I won four of the last five races. I told [Gül] that I won all the races since his phone call,” Sofuoğlu said.

The Turkish racer is on the track to finish the season in second place behind his British rival Sam Lowes with only one race to go in Spain on next week-end.  

Sofuoğlu said that it was Gül who personally asked him to come to the Tarabya Palace on his bike. “It was a huge honor seeing his interest for motorsports… I told him that I would like to receive my trophy from his hands next time I compete in Turkey,” Sofuoğlu said, adding that Gül asked him about sponsors.

“He asked me ‘why do big brands in Turkey not support you.’ So I explained the situation that motorsports faces in Turkey,” Sofuoğlu said.

He also said that he offered the helmet he wore during the race at the Istanbul Park circuit to Gül as a present.