Cycling capital of Turkey helps fight against obesity

Cycling in Turkey's central Anatolian province of Konya has been growing as most people feel scared of becoming obese. Downtown Konya, a provincial center south of Ankara, looks like a Chinese town full with cyclers coming out of every corner. Most people in Konya have great interest in cycling for transportation, says Konya Association of Developing Cycling President Fatih Yilmaz. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Yilmaz said people's interest in cycling as a form of transportation in the city also resulted in the improvement of cycling as a sport. Yilmaz said half of the cyclists all around Turkey were from Konya. Pointing to the fact that there were at least 1 bcycle in every house in Konya, Yilmaz said, "Cycling in our city is growing each day. The number of bicycles in Konya already exceeded 800 thousand which we expect to reach higher numbers in the following years." As Yilmaz said, Konya Metropolitan Municipality has built cycle paths, the total length of which is 196km. "Each new road in the city is built with a cycle path adjoined," said Yilmaz pointing to the investments of the municipality in improving cycling facilities. Stating there were 500 smart bicycles at people's service in the city centre, Yilmaz said all those investments help increase the number of people who ride bicycles. "Cycling helps children to improve their abilities as well as attention, balance and self-confidence," said Yilmaz, "It is also a way of protecting yourself against obesity especially for adults."