Turkish, American cyclists pedal from Ani to support education
AĞRI
Aiming to raise funds for education in Türkiye, a group of Turkish and American volunteers has embarked on a 1,000-kilometer cycling journey from the eastern province of Kars’ Ani Ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reaching the neighboring Ağrı province in 11 days.
Organized by the Bridge To Türkiye Fund in cooperation with the Aziz and Gwen Sancar Foundation and the Cyclists Association, the seven-member team began their journey on Sept. 7.
Covering dozens of kilometers each day, they traveled through the Iğdır province to reach the neighboring Ağrı province.
After cycling 90 kilometers to the city’s town of Patnos, the team continues their journey under the motto: Cycling from Kars to the eastern province of Bitlis’ town of Tatvan to support education in Türkiye.
With the project, they aim to use the funds raised to establish a science laboratory for students at a secondary school in the southeastern city of Şanlıurfa.
Murat Suyabatmaz, president of the Cyclists Association, explained that this is the fourth stage of a series of long-distance tours the association has organized over the past 11 years.
Previous tours included the Black Sea in 2014, the Aegean in 2017, and the Mediterranean in 2021.
“This tour’s main goal is to support education by raising donations in the United States. While promoting education is our primary objective, we also aim to highlight Türkiye’s historical and tourist sites,” Suyabatmaz said.
After Patnos, the team will head to the eastern province of Van, before completing the tour along the shores of Van Lake and finishing in Tatvan.
Ahmet Kaya from the western province of İzmir, one of the participants, noted that the locals have welcomed them warmly during the journey.
“Everything is going smoothly. We encourage people to get out of their cars and try cycling,” Kaya said.
Bülent Ender, president of the Bridge To Türkiye Fund, added that the team has cycled approximately 950 kilometers in 11 days and hopes the donations will bring joy to students.
