02.07.2025 10:41
In the events of the Cabotage Festival in Kumluca, Antalya, competitors fiercely competed for the 10,000 TL prize awarded to the person who retrieves the flag from the greased pole. Contestants who injured themselves by hitting various parts of their bodies, such as their ribs and heads, were taken to the hospital by ambulance.
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The 34th Karaöz Maritime and Cabotage Festival Events saw fierce competition among participants vying for the 10,000 TL prize awarded to the person who retrieves the flag from the greasy pole. The event, held at Karaöz Beach, was attended by Kumluca District Governor Bahadır Güneş, Kumluca Mayor Mesut Avcıoğlu, department heads, representatives of political parties and civil society organizations, municipal council members, neighborhood muhtars, and many citizens.
"WE MUST SUPPORT MARITIME AFFAIRS" Kumluca Mayor Mesut Avcıoğlu stated that the Cabotage Law is a declaration that independence was achieved not only on land but also at sea, saying, "Today, we are experiencing the pride of celebrating July 1st, Maritime and Cabotage Day, which is a significant turning point for Turkish Maritime. With the Cabotage Law enacted in 1926, the sovereignty of our seas has completely passed to our nation. This is a declaration that this independence was achieved not only on land but also at sea. Our duty today is to support maritime affairs and maritime culture, to instill maritime and maritime culture in our youth, and to protect our seas," he said.
"TURKISH MARITIME STANDS ON ITS OWN FEET" Kumluca District Governor Bahadır Güneş emphasized that maritime should be considered as the great national ideal of the Turks and must be achieved as soon as possible, stating, "Today, we are experiencing the rightful pride and happiness of celebrating July 1st, Maritime and Cabotage Day, which symbolizes our independence and sovereignty at sea. The Cabotage Law, which came into effect on July 1, 1926, is a turning point that recognized our nation's sovereign rights over the seas. With this law, our economic independence at sea has been secured, and Turkish maritime has begun to stand on its own feet. The importance that our Republic's founder, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, placed on maritime is well known to all of us. Atatürk said, 'We must think of maritime as the great national ideal of the Turks and achieve it as soon as possible,' showing us the goal of being a maritime nation. Today, Turkish sailors proudly carry our flag all over the world, and our shipyards and ports provide services at world standards," he expressed.
THEY COMPETED IN 6 CATEGORIES After the speeches, Governor Bahadır Güneş and Mayor Mesut Avcıoğlu laid a wreath in memory of maritime martyrs at the open waters of Karaöz. Following the wreath-laying ceremony, an acrobatic group performed on stage. Folk dance performances were also held during the events. In the six separate competition categories organized as part of the events, sports enthusiasts fiercely competed for grand prizes. In the competitions where over a hundred sports enthusiasts participated, Elif Güler won first place in the 50-meter freestyle swimming race, followed by Süleyman Ender in second and Batuhan Gürgen in third, while Elif Güler also took first place in the women's 50-meter swimming race, with Alina Gürbüz in second and Delfin Su Aydoğan in third.
In the 100-meter freestyle swimming race, Mustafa Taşkın took first place, Koray Doğan second, and Kemal Gökhan Albayrak third, while Mustafa Taşkın also won first place in the 400-meter freestyle swimming race, with Cüneyt Karaöz in second and Süleyman Ender Aydil in third. In the underwater waiting race, Aleyna Grigoreva came in first, Muharrem Sarıkaya second, and Ali Gömlekli third, while in the speedboat race, Arada Yavuz (Asel) finished first, Emrah Aytekin (E. Aytekin) second, and Ramazan Topuz (Süleyman Batu) third.
THEY COMPETED FIERCELEY The awards were presented to the winning competitors by Kumluca District Governor Bahadır Güneş and his wife Oya Güneş, Kumluca Mayor Mesut Avcıoğlu and his wife Zahide Avcıoğlu, as well as department heads from public institutions and organizations, representatives of political parties and civil society organizations, municipal council members, and neighborhood muhtars. In this year's traditionally organized event, the most popular competition was again the greasy pole competition. In the highly attended competition, participants fiercely competed to climb the greasy pole and grab the Turkish flag.
THERE WERE INJURIES IN THE GREASY POLE COMPETITION Participants fiercely competed for the 10,000 TL prize awarded to the person who retrieves the flag from the greasy pole. Competitors who were injured after hitting various parts of their bodies, such as ribs and heads, were taken to the hospital by ambulance. In the exciting moments of the competition, Hasan Çüm retrieved the flag from the pole and became this year's winner. The awards and gift voucher for the first-place winner were presented by Governor Bahadır Güneş and Mayor Mesut Avcıoğlu. The first-place winner, Hasan Çüm, said, "Today, I again became the first in a crowded and exciting environment, just like last year. I was very confident that I would win. I have been first in the greasy pole flag retrieval competitions held 9 times. I will stop participating in the competitions after the 10th," he stated.
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