A group of citizens in Rize took a swim in the Black Sea to commemorate the martyrs on July 15, Democracy and National Unity Day.
17 people, including 68-year-old former Rize Mayor Halil Bakırcı, met at Rize Port and entered the sea and swam to İslampaşa Port.
Participants of the event completed the approximately 4-kilometer track in 1.5 hours.
In his statement to journalists, Bakırcı wished mercy on the martyrs and said, "I hope God will never show such a July 15 to our country again. I would like to thank all our past who contributed to the victory of the Republic of Turkey, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and our people who resisted July 15." he said.