Turkish Cypriot Swimmers Cover Nearly 100 km in 24 Hours to Support Karpas Donkeys

Turkish Cypriot swimmers Kemal Elektrikçi and Bekir Yemen completed a grueling 24-hour swim to protest the mistreatment of donkeys in the Karpas Peninsula and to raise awareness about women’s rights. Together, they swam nearly 100 kilometers.

The challenge began at 8:30 AM on March 31 and ended at the same time the following day. Elektrikçi covered an impressive 52 km, while his teammate Yemen swam 46 km.

After completing the swim, Elektrikçi thanked his family for their unwavering support, as well as Gülşen Karadayı and her team of artists from Another World Is Possible Forever – Peace Art North Cyprus KKTC, who helped organize the event.

Elektrikçi had first announced the swim on January 10, originally planning to hold it on March 8 at the Atatürk Indoor Pool.

The initiative was inspired by a shocking incident on February 16, when a herd of wild donkeys was brutally shot by unknown individuals near the Dipkarpaz landfill. Sixteen donkeys were killed, including a pregnant female that was gunned down while giving birth.

The investigation into the incident has since been completed.