Translated by Leo Kendrick
One of the Muslim worlds most sacred holidays, the Feast of Sacrifice was marred with a high number of drownings all over Turkey. After President Erdoğan announced that the holidays would last for more than a week, millions of Turks flocked to the seaside and their hometowns. Anadolu Agency (AA) reported that over in 8 days, 43 people drowned in various Turkish cities.
According to information compiled by AA correspondents, 5 people in both Istanbul and Amasya, 4 people in both Kocaeli and Şanlıurfa, and 3 people in both Bursa and Samsun died by drowning. Of these 43, 3 people are foreign nationals. The deaths were recorded in lakes, dams, and streams in 22 different cities across Turkey.
Among the 5 drowning incidents recorded in both Istanbul and Amasya, 4 in both Kocaeli and Şanlıurfa, and 3 in both Bursa and Samsun, 16 children lost their lives.
In Adana’s central district of Çukurova, Delil Fırat Atalay, aged 9, drowned in Seyhan Dam Lake on 17 July.
On the same day a 17 year old, who had gone swimming in a local stream to cool off amidst soaring summer temperatures, lost his life near Batman.
In Sakarya’s district of Geyve, 4 year old Ömer Ali Dişli, who had left with his grandfather to tend to grazing livestock in the neighborhood of Bozören, was found lifeless after drowning in a nearby irrigation canal.
Close to Şanlıurfa’s rural Karaali neighborhood within the central Eyübiyye district, 17 year old Zeyit Yüksel lost his life after slipping and drowning in an irrigation canal on 18 July.
In Mersin’s Mut district, 17 year old Mehmet Keleş’s lifeless body was found after he had gone for a swim in a nearby river on 18 July.
Elif, Sultan (50), Emrullah (19), Havvanur (9), and Levent (3) Cenikli, all from the same family, perished 18 July after going for a swim in Derinöz Dam in Amasya’s Suluova district.
İlayda Koç (20), who had entered the water to cool off with his friends in the Martyr Police Tuncay Karataş Mosque in Çarşamba district of Samsun on 18 July, could not be saved despite attempts to resuscitate him at the local hospital where he was taken.
In Istanbul’s Fatih, 25 year old İsa Baydal’s body was found by the Samatya fire brigade rescue team after he disappeared following a swim off a sailing boat on 19 July.
Ömer Tütüncü (20), an Electronic Engineering student at Uludağ University, lost his life in Göllüce neighborhood of Bursa’s Iznik district after going for a swim to cool off in Lake Iznik, where his body was recovered by divers.
On 20 July in Bursa’s Yenişehir district, Halil Sevil (43) drowned after entering Çayırlı stream for a swim.
9 people drown on second day of the holidays
A 23 year old Iraqi national and student at 19 May University lost his life in Samsum’s Atakum district on 21 July after losing his balance and falling in a small lake in the Karakavuk neighborhood, where he had gone with his friends.
A 21 year old also drowned at Kumcağız Beach in Kocaeli’s Kandıra district after entering the water to cool off.
Also in the Kandıra district, brothers Kardelen (16) and Atakan (13) lost their lives after entering the water on a windy day in the Babalı neighborhood.
Hüseyin Baykara’s (15) lifeless body was found after a swim in Botan Stream in Siirt district.
Mehmet Kolukısa, aged 19, also d
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ied by drowning after going for a swim in Salda Lake, located in Burdur’s Yeşilova district.
Rescue divers also recovered the lifeless body of Ecir Mehmet Zahit Düzyol, age 25, who had entered Yenidoğan Pond in Konya’s Beyşehir district to cool off.
4 of 5 swimmers at Harbiş Beach in Adana’s Karataş district narrowly escaped drowning after they were rescued from the water. The 5th member of this group, a 41 year old individual, lost his life after resuscitation efforts at nearby Karataş Government Hospital were unsuccessful.
Murat Erez (18), who had gone for a swim with his brother Ömer Erez at Altınkum Beach in Edirne’s Enez district, also died despite resuscitation efforts.
In Istanbul’s Şile district on 22 July, 5 people, including 2 foreign nationals, disappeared. At the end of the search efforts by rescue teams, 4 people lost their lives, including one of the foreign nationals.
At Bağırganlı Beach in Kocaeli’s Kandıra district, 23 year old Özcan Demir’s lifeless body was recovered after going missing in the sea on 23 July.
17 year old Emre Öz lost his life after being taken to a hospital in Antalya’s Konyaaltı district along with a group of other young people, who had been rescued on 23 July after nearly drowning at sea.
At Sevgi Beach in the Davutlar neighborhood of Aydın’s Kuşadası district, Dursun Gökçen (62) perished after drowning in the sea.
Diyar Uçar (23) died while swimming and fishing with friends in Hakkari’s Şemdinli district, after he fell into rapids in a local stream near Boğazköy.
Vacationing Kazakh tourist Kaldybek Mukatayev, aged 70, died 23 July in Antalya’s Alanya district after entering the water and drowning.
Near Adıyaman’s Kızılcapınar village, 18 year old Mustafa Kalkan’s body was discovered after going for a swim and drowning in Atatürk Dam Lake.
Local residents discovered the body of 22 year old Ersan Demirci, who had gone for a swim on the coast in the Gebeş neighborhood of Kastamonu’s Cide district on 23 July.
Emirhan (12), Elif Nur (16), and Halenur (23), all from the Mece family, lost their lives after drowning in Atatürk Dam Lake near the Hilvan district of Şanlıurfa on 23 July.
The body of Emre Kılıç (30) was found by rescue teams after being lost at sea following a swim in Samsun’s Bafra district on 24 July.
Sedat Deveci (42) drowned in the Onikişubat district of Kahramanmaraş on 24 July after going swimming with his 3 children and their relatives.
35 year old Abdullah Hamza’s lifeless body was recovered from the Demirtaş Dam in Bursa’s Osmangazi district on 24 July, after he attempted to save his three children who were at risk of drowning.
Medyascope’s report on the drownings can be found at the following link
