Turkish national athlete Şahika Ercümen shattered her own world record Friday during a poignant dive into the Mediterranean, a powerful gesture of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
The multiple world record-holder descended to 107 meters (351 feet) on a single breath, surpassing her previous 106-meter (348-foot) mark in the variable weight no fins category.
The dive, staged off Antalya – a gem of the Turkish Riviera – lasted 3 minutes and 21 seconds and carried a message of hope under the banner: “Let Gaza Breathe, Let the Darkness Turn to Light.”
Emerging from the depths, Ercümen and her team unfurled Turkish and Palestinian flags, alongside a “Let Gaza Breathe” sign and a tribute marking the 102nd anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
Ercümen, who previously dedicated several record attempts to other humanitarian causes, said she wanted to use this achievement to draw attention to the ongoing suffering in Gaza, which has faced years of war and an oppressive blockade, and to deliver a message of hope and solidarity.
After the dive, Ercümen told Anadolu Agency that although she has been a national athlete for years and competed in many world championships, breaking numerous records, this attempt felt uniquely emotional.
"Everything was down to the wire,” she said, adding that her team supported her tremendously.
"I didn’t want to let them down. I think my heart rate was around 120 when I went in. But now I feel like a huge weight has been lifted,” she said.
"Representing my country as a national athlete is deeply meaningful to me,” she said. "I’m overwhelmed with emotion because not only did we bring a world record to Türkiye, but we also managed to deliver a message from our country to the whole world.”
The champion diver also said she dedicated the world record to the 102nd anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, which was founded in 1923.
"Exactly 10 years ago, during another record attempt, the timing coincided with a period of conflict in Gaza,” she said. "Back then, we said, ‘Let Gaza breathe.’”
"Many years have passed since. I now hope this peace process becomes permanent,” she said, referring to the recent ceasefire agreement.
"I wanted to hold my breath in the water for Gaza so they could breathe,” she said. "I know very well what it feels like not to breathe for minutes, and they have been subjected to this oppression for far too long.”
"So we wanted to send a message to the world: Let Gaza breathe,” she underlined.
Calling the preparation process for the dive "hard to describe,” Ercümen said: "This year was a very difficult one for me.”
"I competed in the world championships. It was a tough tournament,” she explained, referring to last month’s CMAS World Championship in Greece.
"When we came here, we faced a storm. A few of our training sessions were canceled. Even though I wasn’t able to prepare as well as I wanted, we still did our best,” she added.
She also said: "I had an amazing team, and my supporters really motivated me. Despite the difficult conditions, we broke the record.”
