Kaş pays tribute to local hero
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 18, 2009 00:00
KAŞ, Antalya - The Mediterranean town of Kaş stages a sport tournament with not one meaning but two: The Spring Sports Tournament is paying homage to a late journalist, Beyhan Cenkçi, as well as welcoming spring. The tournament started with sailing and cycling races and will continue with exciting volleyball, badminton and football competitions
The town of Kaş is staging a sports tournament to welcome the spring and commemorate a dead journalist and local hero.
The Mediterranean town near Antalya is commemorating Beyhan Çenkçi, a late journalist, ex-president of the Press Association for 24 years and ex-president of the Press Union, by naming the spring sports tournament after him.
Beyhan Çenkçi, who loved Kaş and was buried there, died 17 years ago, leaving behind many grateful people. Friends remember him as a respectable man who did a lot for Kaş.
When asked "Who is Mr. Beyhan Çenkçi to you," one senior citizen, replied, "Kaş owes him a lot."
"He first arrived by a small fishing boat, because at that time it was the only way to reach Kaş, since there was no road connection. He did not spare any effort to introduce Kaş to the world but did it with care to its nature and history. He made many friends with the locals by his modest and sincere attitude," he said.
Many others agreed that using his influence Çenkçi forced the central authorities to work for Kaş, building roads and other infrastructure work, such as electricity and water supply, in addition to establishing a municipal development plan. Kaş Peninsula is now a haven of abundant flora and harmonious architecture, mostly stone villas built under strict regulations in protected areas. The Kaş Peninsula’s municipal development plan may have been the first of such plans in Turkey, with 80 percent of the land allocated for naturally reserved green areas.
This is the second spring sports tournament in his name. In cooperation with the Ankara Journalists Association, the tournaments were organized and supported by local authorities and volunteers under the administration of Süleyman Yõlmaz, head of the Official Authority.
With this occasion, for the first time in its history, Kaş staged optimists (a small children’s sail boat) sailing races for the Antalya Sailing Club. It was like a daydream for the children to see six separate sailing races in their town.
More sailing clubs
In his speech for the ceremony of races, Abdurrahim Şaşmaz, provincial representative of the Sailing Federation, said he wanted local authorities to promise to do their best to establish sailing clubs in Kaş, which he said had at least a few beaches proper for sailing. He continued his speech saying, "We would like to come here not as guest sailors for tournaments but as an opposing team for Kaş Sailing Clubs."
"Kaş is a very suitable place for sailing," Şaşmaz added. "Especially the bays of Akçagerme and İnceboğaz are really suitable."
Ozan Muti won the boys’ under-15 optimist race, while Melis Dümen finished first in girls’ category.
In the swimming race, İsmail Demirkan was the victor, as he was the fastest in the long-distance race of 7,800 meters.
Competing in bicycle races, children picked from Kaş schools and licensed cyclists of Antalya Cycling Club created unforgettable scenes for the spectators, as they made their way through the narrow historical streets of Kaş.
Egehan Çetiner won the bicycle race yesterday. The six-stage race was run between 30 riders.
The tournament will continue with volleyball, badminton and football tournaments between the schools, as well as dance and acrobatic shows performed by a Chinese group following the opening of the first Sports Hall of Kaş.
An Olympic champion
among the guests
Olympic and World Champion weightlifter Halil Mutlu will meet with children and young fans to share his experiences and sign sports gears for them.
As happened in the past years, many of Çenkçi’s silver-haired comrades from Ankara and Antalya along with the younger journalists have come to Kaş for the occasion.
Responding to the question of who Çenkçi was to him, one of the journalists replied with slight glint of tears in his eyes.
"He introducedÊKaş with immense excitement and encouraged us to buy small plots of land here," he said. "Afterward, as journalists we did our best for the promotion and sustainable development of Kaş. It is partly our hometown now. He is the pioneer of the legend of Kaş, he is still our beloved leader."
The Mediterranean town near Antalya is commemorating Beyhan Çenkçi, a late journalist, ex-president of the Press Association for 24 years and ex-president of the Press Union, by naming the spring sports tournament after him.
Beyhan Çenkçi, who loved Kaş and was buried there, died 17 years ago, leaving behind many grateful people. Friends remember him as a respectable man who did a lot for Kaş.
When asked "Who is Mr. Beyhan Çenkçi to you," one senior citizen, replied, "Kaş owes him a lot."
"He first arrived by a small fishing boat, because at that time it was the only way to reach Kaş, since there was no road connection. He did not spare any effort to introduce Kaş to the world but did it with care to its nature and history. He made many friends with the locals by his modest and sincere attitude," he said.
Many others agreed that using his influence Çenkçi forced the central authorities to work for Kaş, building roads and other infrastructure work, such as electricity and water supply, in addition to establishing a municipal development plan. Kaş Peninsula is now a haven of abundant flora and harmonious architecture, mostly stone villas built under strict regulations in protected areas. The Kaş Peninsula’s municipal development plan may have been the first of such plans in Turkey, with 80 percent of the land allocated for naturally reserved green areas.
This is the second spring sports tournament in his name. In cooperation with the Ankara Journalists Association, the tournaments were organized and supported by local authorities and volunteers under the administration of Süleyman Yõlmaz, head of the Official Authority.
With this occasion, for the first time in its history, Kaş staged optimists (a small children’s sail boat) sailing races for the Antalya Sailing Club. It was like a daydream for the children to see six separate sailing races in their town.
More sailing clubs
In his speech for the ceremony of races, Abdurrahim Şaşmaz, provincial representative of the Sailing Federation, said he wanted local authorities to promise to do their best to establish sailing clubs in Kaş, which he said had at least a few beaches proper for sailing. He continued his speech saying, "We would like to come here not as guest sailors for tournaments but as an opposing team for Kaş Sailing Clubs."
"Kaş is a very suitable place for sailing," Şaşmaz added. "Especially the bays of Akçagerme and İnceboğaz are really suitable."
Ozan Muti won the boys’ under-15 optimist race, while Melis Dümen finished first in girls’ category.
In the swimming race, İsmail Demirkan was the victor, as he was the fastest in the long-distance race of 7,800 meters.
Competing in bicycle races, children picked from Kaş schools and licensed cyclists of Antalya Cycling Club created unforgettable scenes for the spectators, as they made their way through the narrow historical streets of Kaş.
Egehan Çetiner won the bicycle race yesterday. The six-stage race was run between 30 riders.
The tournament will continue with volleyball, badminton and football tournaments between the schools, as well as dance and acrobatic shows performed by a Chinese group following the opening of the first Sports Hall of Kaş.
An Olympic champion
among the guests
Olympic and World Champion weightlifter Halil Mutlu will meet with children and young fans to share his experiences and sign sports gears for them.
As happened in the past years, many of Çenkçi’s silver-haired comrades from Ankara and Antalya along with the younger journalists have come to Kaş for the occasion.
Responding to the question of who Çenkçi was to him, one of the journalists replied with slight glint of tears in his eyes.
"He introducedÊKaş with immense excitement and encouraged us to buy small plots of land here," he said. "Afterward, as journalists we did our best for the promotion and sustainable development of Kaş. It is partly our hometown now. He is the pioneer of the legend of Kaş, he is still our beloved leader."