Nature-loving family cycle Turkey's lakes to raise awareness

Barış and İpek Şen are mathematics teachers by trade, but their true passion is cycling.
In order to set a good example for their students, as well as their daughters Deniz, 3, and Duru, 10, the teacher couple set out on an adventure with their children to highlight the importance of Turkey’s water sources. The Şen Family plans to cycle 1,600 kilometers around a total of 15 lakes in Anatolia under the banner of: “No water, no peace.”
However, this is not family's first adventure. They set out on a journey from Zurich, Switzerland to the Dutch coast, cycling a total of 1,500 kilometers with their daughter Deniz - who was no more than 17 months old at the time.
The Şen Family kicked off their latest and perhaps most ambitious journey from Lake Sapanca, together with members of Kocaeli Cycling and Nature Sports (KOBİDOS) and the Search and Rescue Association (AKUT). They plan to cycle around 15 lakes, including lakes Salda, Eğirdir, Manyas, İznik and Van - and plan to complete their mission by the end of the year.
Speaking to the press, Barış Şen said that they want to see the world with their children. He said that their aim is to encourage cycling in Turkey and showcase the beauty of the routes available to enjoy. He also said that they want to raise awareness about the importance of Turkey’s water sources for the future generations.
“We want to highlight the importance of not wasting water in Turkey. We see this as a campaign for public awareness and we want to make our voice heard for as many people as possible,” added Şen.
The family will continue their journey over the holidays. “We will drive to the lakes and then cycle around them. We also want to plant saplings on each of our tours around the lakes, because we want to leave a wonderful ecosystem for our children to enjoy,” said Barış Şen.
İpek Şen said added their students will also join the family: “After seeing us, there were students who started to cycle to school every day. Some of the students want to cycle around Turkey when they grow up. Our children are used to cycling. They grew up on bicycles. This is a beautiful experience. Instead of spending time indoors, our children can enjoy nature. If children are in nature more, they feel less of a need for technology in their lives.”