Dutch ambassador swims across Istanbul Strait to support earthquake victims

Dutch Ambassador to Türkiye, Joep Wijnands, has swam across the Istanbul Strait from Asia to Europe to raise awareness for a relief campaign aiding those affected by the earthquakes centred in Türkiye's Kahramanmaras province on February 6.

Stating that the Dutch government has contributed to earthquake victims from the beginning, Wijnands said, "As a result of a national campaign, 150 million euros were collected for earthquake victims."

He emphasised his intention to participate in the swimming race to raise awareness and gather aid for earthquake victims.

"The events are very tragic. I've been to the earthquake area a few times, and witnessing what has happened is heart-wrenching. All of us must continue doing our best to support the victims. That's what my government is doing. We also want to do this by participating in this swimming race," he said.

Mehtap Akkaya, President of the Netherlands Cooperation Association, one of the organisations contributing to the campaign, invited people to support such projects.

"I think this is a shared responsibility for all of us," she said.

Ambassador Wijnands presented a symbolic check worth 41,000 euros to musician Karsu during her concert at Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre in Istanbul.

The funds collected through the Karsu Foundation's internet account numbers were donated to the foundation, and the campaign concluded today.

The 35th Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race

Türkiye's Minister of Youth and Sports, Osman Askin Bak, gave on Sunday the start signal for the 35th Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race which started from Kanlica Pier and concluded in Kurucesme.

Over 2,600 athletes from more than 70 countries competed in the 6.5-kilometre course.

In the men's general category, Dogukan Ulac came in first with a time of 41 minutes and 22 seconds. Kerem Hosgor secured second place with 43 minutes and 31 seconds, while Halil Sensoy finished third with 43 minutes and 44 seconds.

In the women's general category, Burcunaz Narin claimed the top spot with a time of 42 minutes and 54 seconds, followed by Hilal Zeyneb Sarac in second place with a time of 43 minutes and 59 seconds, and Ada Liza Celik in third place with a time of 44 minutes and 17 seconds.

Following the race, the President of the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TNOC), Ugur Erdener, expressed his satisfaction with the number of participants, saying, "Since the Istanbul Strait is a challenging course, we do not exceed a certain number of participants. Especially foreign participants showed a high demand because everyone wants to experience this unique opportunity."

The race, first organised by the TNOC with the support of the International Olympic Committee and the participation of 68 swimmers on July 23, 1989, brought together nearly 2,500 swimmers from over 50 countries in 2022.

Since 2010, the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race has rewarded swimmers who complete the race with a "Continental Swimmer" certificate. In 2016, it was selected as the "Open Water Swim Organization of the Year" by the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA), and in 2019, it secured the top spot in the "Top 100 Open Water Swims in the World" list.