Authorities assuaged the public that beaches in Istanbul, the country's most populated city, is clean and safe for swimming, as drowning incidents in the country are on the rise.
More than 40 people across the country drowned over the past week but no drownings were reported near the popular beaches in Istanbul. However, seven perished when they were swimming in secluded areas on the city's Black Sea coast.
Şile, the most popular swimming hub on the Black Sea coast with 12 beaches, saw an influx of holidaymakers during last week's Eid al-Fitr. Lifeguards say they rescued more than 3,000 people from certain drowning last year, but no incidents occurred this year thanks in part to the increased deployment of lifeguards on the beaches.
Meanwhile, The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality announced the city's beaches are clean thanks to daily efforts across 515 kilometers of coast on the European and Asian sides of the city. Güneş, Menekşe and Caddebostan, three popular beaches, are among the best for swimming, where the water quality tested high, municipality officials said. The municipality also deployed underwater cleaning crews to ward off ubiquitous mosses that deter swimmers.
