Turkish swimmer breaks own world record with dive dedicated to Gaza

ANTALYA

Turkish world record-holding freediver and United Nations “Life Below Water” advocate Şahika Ercümen has broken her own world record with a symbolic dive dedicated both to the 102nd anniversary of the Turkish Republic and to raising awareness for Gaza.

The record came as Türkiye prepares to celebrate the founding of its republic on Oct. 29, 1923, and shortly after a ceasefire was reached in Gaza, following months of devastating conflict.

Ercümen descended to 107 meters in the “variable weight without fins” category off Kaş, in Türkiye’s Mediterranean province of Antalya, surpassing her previous 106-meter record set two years ago during the Republic’s centennial celebrations.

Using an underwater lift system, Ercümen first completed a 40-meter warm-up dive before performing breathing exercises and meditation aboard the support vessel.

Lowered by the lift at a speed of two meters per second, she reached a depth of 107 meters before detaching from the system and ascending to the surface solely using arm power. Accompanied by safety divers, she resurfaced without any complications,

The dive, completed in 3 minutes and 21 seconds, was held under the slogan “Let Gaza breathe, let the darkness turn to light.”

After surfacing, Ercümen unfurled Turkish and Palestinian flags and held signs reading “Happy 102nd Republic Day” and “Let Gaza Breathe.”

“I hope Gaza can truly breathe and the darkness turns to light. We will continue to live through sport, nature and hope,” Ercümen said after the dive.