World’s longest rally competition starts in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The 3rd edition of the world’s longest rally, İpek Yolu Rally, has commenced in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square with the participation of 30 contestants from seven countries, and is scheduled to end in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, on Aug. 28.

The opening ceremony of the rally competition, organized by the East-West Friendship and Peace Rally Association and supported by the European Union and the Foreign Ministry, was attended by the president of the association, Nadir Serin, and representatives from the general consulates of EU member countries and non-governmental organizations, as well as scores of car enthusiasts.

“We have contestants from seven different nations: Germany, Italy, Austria, Moldova, France, England and Türkiye. Central Asia is unfamiliar to us and it is an incredibly stunning terrain. This will be our third trip to the region. We travel to this region because of the Eastern and Western civilizations. We sincerely hope to contribute to and serve as a link between these two previously antagonistic civilizations,” Serin said in his remarks at the opening ceremony.

Following Türkiye, the contestants will travel through Iran, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China before arriving in their last stop in Mongolia.

Semiye Serin, one of the participants from Germany, expressed excitement upon participating in the competition. “I had never considered visiting Samarkand or Bukhara before, and I wasn't even sure that I could ever hope to get there. That's why I'm excited,” Serin said.

“I had always been interested in this route. I wanted this to be my first post-retirement activity and I made my wishes come true,” another contestant from the Antalya province, Gülay Karakimseliler, pointed out.