Man rows 2,000 kilometers in two months, arrives in Muğla’s coast

MUĞLA – Anadolu Agency

A 60-year-old man has rowed almost the entire length of Turkey’s Aegean coastline, around 2,000 kilometers in two months, departing from the Gelibolu district in the northwestern province of Çanakkale and arriving in the coast of the the Dalyan neighborhood of the southwestern province of Muğla.

“I rowed around 40 kilometers a day. I am not Superman. If I can, anyone can. So, I want to be a role model to Turkish youth,” said Hüseyin Ürkmez.

Ürkmez, who has rowed along all the coasts of Turkey and six other countries in his lifetime, started his journey two months ago from Gelibolu district with his four-meter-long boat.

The first thing he did after his arrival in the province of Muğla on Aug. 27 was that he started taking photographs of rock tombs, a landmark of the Dalyan district.

“I have been rowing since I was seven,” said Ürkmez, stressing his love for the sea.

“The first time I got on a journey with my boat was in 1999 from Istanbul to Dalyan. In 2000, to protest environmental pollution, I rowed from Istanbul to Bursa. I rowed through the Mediterranean in 2001 and 2002, then I sailed from Istanbul to Athens in 2005.”

Ürkmez, proudly said that besides Turkey, he had rowed his boats along the entire coastlines of Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece.

But he said he could not row much during this summer due to the pandemic.

He also pointed to the “Atam İzindeyiz” slogan, which means “Founding Father [Mustafa Kemal Atatürk], we are on your track,” written on his boat.

“Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s favorite sport was rowing. So, I decided to write the slogan on my boat,” he said, elaborating on his dream for the future.

“I have eight boats. I have different memories of each. So, one day, I will exhibit my boats and the memories I had with them.”