PNN – A Turkish cycling caravan sets out from Çanakkale to Minab.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; A Turkish journalist plans to convey a message of solidarity with child victims of war to Iran by leading a “Friendship” cycling caravan on a 4,000-kilometer journey from Çanakkale to Minab.
Kemal Yücel, the Turkish journalist, announced that the caravan was launched with the aim of honoring the memory of the children who lost their lives in the attack on the Shajara al-Tayyibah Elementary School in Minab and delivering a message of solidarity from the children of Turkey to the children of Iran.
According to a report by the Turkish outlet Sol, this school was targeted during an attack by the US and the Zionist regime on Minab. Citing an independent UN inquiry commission, the outlet reported that 157 people, including 123 children, lost their lives in the attack. Official Iranian figures also place the death toll at 156, including 120 students.
A Caravan to Convey a Message from Children
Explaining the purpose of this journey, Yücel stated that the reaction to the killing of children should not be limited merely to posting messages on social media; for this reason, he and a group of friends—under the banner of the “Bicycle Initiative”—decided to organize a caravan traveling from Turkey to Iran.
The caravan is set to assemble in Diyarbakır and begin its journey toward Iran from there. The route through Iran passes through the cities of Khoy, Tabriz, Zanjan, Qazvin, Tehran, Qom, Isfahan, Abadeh, Herat, Sirjan, Hajiabad, and Bandar Abbas, ultimately concluding in front of the school in Minab that was the target of an attack. The entire journey will take 25 days.
Schoolbags Instead of Saddlebags
One of the symbolic aspects of this initiative is carrying children’s schoolbags on the back of bicycles. Children in Turkey are set to place letters, drawings, poems, toys, and messages of solidarity for children in Iran inside these bags.
According to Yücel, a number of children undergoing treatment for leukemia in hospitals have also sent drawings to children in war-torn areas. Volunteers from a child support organization in Turkey have also provided thousands of toys for the caravan.
Iranian cyclists are also set to accompany the caravan along the Iranian leg of the route. Yücel stated that arrangements have been made with Iranian cycling groups and the Iran Cycling Federation to support this initiative.
In Minab, the caravan members plan to meet with the families of children who lost their lives in the attack on the school and to distribute a portion of the collected gifts to children in the cities along the route and in Minab.
Bicycles Need No Oil, Carry No Bombs
Speaking on the choice of the bicycle as the symbol of this movement, Yücel said: Bicycles require no oil, carry no bombs, and bring no death.
He described the caravan’s objective as opposing war and attacks on civilians, while conveying a message of solidarity among nations.
Yücel stated: In the past, caravans transported trade goods along the ancient Silk Road. This time, we are traveling the same route carrying messages of humanitarianism and solidarity. Bicycles have taken the place of camels, and instead of commercial goods, we are carrying letters from children.
Çanakkale: A Historic Bond between Iran and Turkey
Pointing to the history of relations between Iran and Turkey and the connection to the Battle of Çanakkale, he described this journey as a step toward strengthening the “bicycle-based friendship” between the two nations.
Referring to the 1915 Battle of Çanakkale, Yücel noted that a number of Iranians living within Ottoman territories at the time—driven by religious and historical ties—traveled to Anatolia and voluntarily joined the Ottoman forces defending Çanakkale.
He stated: Just as we fought against imperialism at Çanakkale, the people of Iran are now also fighting against imperialists.
Meeting with the Families of Children from Minab
According to Yücel, upon arriving in Minab, members of the caravan will meet with the families of the children who lost their lives in the attack on the school and deliver letters, drawings, and gifts from children in Turkey.
He added that Iranian cyclists would accompany the caravan members during the Iranian leg of the journey, noting that coordination regarding the event has been established with local cycling groups and the Iranian Cycling Federation.
Yücel described this trip as the first step toward building a “cycling bridge of friendship” between Iran and Turkey, stating his intention to organize joint initiatives in this area in the future.
Let us melt down all the world’s weapons and build bicycles.
Addressing the ongoing war and tension in the region, Yücel stated that attacks by the US and Israel in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran have had severe humanitarian consequences.
He said: We do not distinguish between the suffering of the children killed in Gaza and that of the children who lost their lives in Minab. We have chosen Minab as a symbol of this shared pain.
In conclusion, he said: We do not want war to exist anywhere in the world. Let us melt down all the world’s weapons and build bicycles.
After covering a distance of approximately 4,000 kilometers, the convoy is set to reach Minab and conclude its journey in front of a school that was targeted in an attack by the US and the Zionist regime.