Meriç River set to become country’s water sports hub

EDİRNE

The Meriç River in the northwestern province of Edirne is poised to become Türkiye’s premier destination for water sports, thanks to its natural flow, well-equipped facilities, and existing infrastructure, an official has announced.

Nesim İba, a board member of the Turkish Rowing Federation, highlighted the successful organization of the Turkish Rowing Championship, the first major rowing event of the year in the Meriç River’s rowing course — the country’s first Olympic-standard rowing course.

According to İba, the first-of-its-kind course offers opportunities not just for rowing but for various other water sports as well, underlining the river’s potential to host more high-quality events each year.

“The conditions here are ideal. Such a vast and natural venue should not be limited to just rowing,” İba said. “There are many federations dedicated to different water sports, and we will step up and work to turn Meriç River into Türkiye’s water sports hub.”

“We need year-round events and training sessions here,” İba added, calling on all federations and sports enthusiasts to come and make use of the state-of-the-art facility.

He also noted that Meriç River already has the necessary infrastructure, including boathouses, spectator stands and other amenities, all just five minutes from the city center.

With ongoing efforts, İba is confident that Meriç will soon gain widespread recognition as a key water sports destination, noting that three major rowing events are already scheduled to take place on the river this year.