Turkish rower embarks on overseas voyage

Record-breaking Turkish Cypriot rower Erden Eruç has set off on his latest adventure – an ocean-spanning voyage from New York to western Turkey.

Eruç, who holds the world record for being the first man to circumnavigate the world in a row boat and the first to row three oceans, departed from Manhattan's North Cove Marina in a two-seater boat on Saturday to row about 5,600 nautical miles to Gallipoli.

The 54-year-old graduate of Istanbul's Boğaziçi University plans to reach ANZAC Cove in February in time to attend the 101st anniversary of the Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs' Day on March 18.

The Turkish Cypriot adventurer has already racked up a long list of achievements, including the record for being the solo ocean rower who has spent the longest time at sea – 312 days – while crossing the Pacific.

Last year, he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first person to complete a solo, self-propelled circumnavigation of the globe – having already been listed as the first person to row across three oceans.

Eruç will row alongside Australian Kendon Glass as far as Morocco before being joined by Britain's Mark Gasson. His boat will fly the Turkish, Australian and New Zealand flags to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Allies' ill-fated Gallipoli campaign during World War I, which saw more than 86,000 Ottoman troops and 11,000 ANZAC soldiers killed. "During our time of endless conflicts and the resulting human losses around the world, reconciliation and lasting peace seem increasingly elusive. But 100 years ago on the Gallipoli peninsula, nations who fought against each other achieved such reconciliation while mourning the perished on each side," Eruç said on his Row for Peace website.