This year, 12 vehicles and 28 athletes participating in the 18th East-West Friendship and Silk Road Rally have reached Cappadocia.
Supported by the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of the stops in the Türkiye leg of the East-West Friendship and Silk Road Rally was Cappadocia. The athletes arrived in Cappadocia, central Türkiye, at night and reached the balloon launch area in Göreme early the next morning.
After watching the hot air balloons in the impressive landscape of Cappadocia, the athletes set off for Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman.
Nadir Serin, president of the East-West Friendship and Peace Rally Association, stated: "This year, we are organizing the 18th East-West Rally and the 3rd Silk Road Rally. We have visited this region before with the East-West Rally. This is our first time coming with the Silk Road Rally. Everything is magnificent. Cappadocia is our third stop in the Türkiye leg."
"After this, we will head to Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman. We will pass into Iran through Doğubayazıt. This year, we have athletes from five countries. Participants are from Germany, Austria, Italy, Moldova and Türkiye. We will travel approximately 15,000 kilometers. A challenging journey awaits us in Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia,” he said.
David de Matteo from Italy, who participated in the rally, said: “We sleep little during the rally, but it's definitely worth it. There is a very beautiful landscape around us. I could sleep for only two hours today. In the next 10-15 days, we will have a very enjoyable journey. Everyone should definitely participate in this rally.”
Gülay Karakimseliler, who joined the rally from Antalya, said: “I participated in the Silk Road Rally from Antalya. I am very excited, especially this morning. I am having difficulty expressing my feelings in front of this scenery. I can't decide if it is more beautiful to be up above or down below. Our journey ahead is very long. Therefore, I am very excited. Iran was a place I was very curious about. After that, we will go to the Turkic Republics. Hopefully, I will complete it.”
The start of the Türkiye route of the 18th East-West Friendship and Silk Road Rally, supported by the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was in Istanbul.
