Around the world by bike: Turkish cyclist on a mission to promote bicycles

AMMAN — A 35-year-old Turkish cyclist is on a mission to travel the world by bike to highlight the importance of the two-wheeled vehicle as a as means of transport. 

Gurkan Genc, who began his journey on September 9, 2012, has so far travelled over three continents, visiting Romania, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Jordan, among other countries. 

“I’ve covered 30,000 kilometres over the past two years,” he told The Jordan Times at the Turkish embassy.  

The cyclist said he embarked on the trip to show to the world that anyone can travel abroad using a bicycle without negatively affecting the environment. 

Nevertheless, starting his journey was not easy. The culture of cycling is not popular in most Muslim countries, including Genc’s national homeland of Turkey. 

“Making this trip was a childhood dream, but people around me did not support my ambitions,” he said.  “I started this journey because I wanted to inspire people to cycle more.” 

“I share details about my trips through my website and post photos of the countries I’ve visited. I write about the education, economy and lifestyles of the people I meet,” Genc noted. 

Through advertisements on his website, the cyclist said he makes enough money to buy two bicycles every month for his compatriots. He has also paid for several students to study foreign languages and supports sportspeople in Turkey. 

“I think my campaign has positively changed people’s perception of the bicycle, and more people in Turkey are cycling now.”

Genc has been in Jordan for a week and has so far cycled across the capital. 

He plans to tour the entire Kingdom within two months. 

The cyclist expects to finish his world tour by 2020, visiting a total of 114 countries and covering 120,000 kilometres. 

“One of the reasons behind my visit to Jordan was the allure of Petra. When I started searching for details about the country, I only found information related to tourism and about the main cities in the Kingdom,” he added. 

He said the real draw of the countries he visits is the local culture. 

To truly know any country and understand its people, one has to go on the streets and start talking to local residents, Genc noted, recalling that some villagers invited him to stay at their homes and even offered him money to continue his journey. 

“During the two months I spent in Algeria, I did not spend any money. I did not even need to erect my tent because people would offer me a place to sleep for the night,” he said.  

“All the villagers I met have been very kind, but I don’t get the same kind of reception in big cities. 

“People there are always busy,” he added.