Postcard from under the sea: from diver Sahika Ercumen to the President
Türkiye’s national diver and multi-record holder Sahika Ercumen has sent a postcard from under the sea in Malaysia, to be delivered to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan.
Turkish freediver Sahika Ercumen at Mataking Post, the underwater mailbox in Malaysia’s Sabah state, with a message for President Erdogan and his wife.
National diver Sahika Ercumen sent a postcard to Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan from below the sea during a dive in Malaysia’s Sabah state.
Ercumen took part in the diving activity as part of Türkiye’s sports diplomacy efforts.
During a dive in Sabah’s Mataking Island, Ercumen sent a postcard to President Erdogan and his wife, Emine Erdogan.
Türkiye’s Kuala Lumpur Ambassador Merve Kavakci, who penned the message on the postcard, said: “As Türkiye’s Kuala Lumpur Ambassador, I sent our President a message via the post box under the sea. In my message I used the postcard to draw attention to Sabah’s universal values. With [Ms Ercumen] diving underwater, we sent off this postcard to the Presidential Complex.”
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur Merve Kavakci (L) and national diver Sahika Ercumen pose with the postcard destined for Türkiye’s Presidential Complex before Ercumen’s dive.
“It is imperative that we protect the seas that are the lungs of the world”
Ercumen, who holds 11 world records in freediving, said she aims to create awareness to protect the oceans as a representative of Emine Erdogan’s Zero Waste Blue project and United Nations Aquatic Life Defender. Ercumen added that she was proud to dive into Sabah’s biodiversity underwater areas.
“We have one home, we must protect it. In the fight against the climate crisis, it is imperative that we protect the seas that are the lungs of the world,” said Türkiye’s national diver. Ercumen added that she was preparing for a new world record, and with her success wants to draw attention to issues such as global warming and the protection of marine life.
We want divers in Türkiye to consider Semporna
Sabah Tourism Board President Noredah Othman said that Sabah, especially Semporna is very rich in aquatic biodiversity and thus presented ideal opportunities for oceanic tourism.
Othman noted that killer whales, whale sharks and dolphins used Semporna’s waters as migratory pathways and added:
“Many divers had numerous opportunities to see these incredible marine animals. Semporna’s sea bed is a centre of attraction for academics, for investigation of marine life and potential for discovery of new macro species. When our international borders reopen, we hope that scuba divers in Türkiye will consider Sempora as a new destination.”
Turkish freediver Sahika Ercumen at Mataking Post, the underwater mailbox in Malaysia’s Sabah state, holding the Turkish flag.
Mataking post box has been active since 2006 for postcards
The Mataking post box is located in a wooden ship 20 metres below the sea, which was sunk in 2006 as part of the protection plan of the island and is now home to many artificial reefs. The post box, into which divers can leave vacuum-sealed postcards, is emptied twice a week by expert divers and the postcards are delivered to Sabah central post office.
Sabah, home to the world-famous Sipadan Island Park and Tun Sakaran Marine Park comprising eight islands, has six protected marine parks.
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