The cycling lane, dubbed the “longest” in the world by local media, is part of Turkey's efforts to promote healthier lifestyles and decrease emissions from motor vehicles by encouraging cycling. The country plans to establish 4,775 kilometers of bicycle lanes by 2023, in line with the centenary of the Republic of Turkey. The government has so far partially funded the construction of a total of 1,150 kilometers of bicycle lanes for municipalities and launched a campaign to increase the length of lanes in 2018. Currently, 114 kilometers of bicycle lanes exist across the cities of Batman, Bitlis, Çanakkale, Istanbul, Konya, Kırşehir, Kütahya, Mersin, Muğla, Niğde, Ordu, Rize, Siirt, Trabzon, Tokat, Yozgat and Zonguldak.
The lanes will be integrated into Europe's EuroVelo, a network of 15 long-distance cycle routes connecting the continent.
Along with urban locations, bicycle lanes are being built in protected areas such as national parks. For instance, lanes will be built between the western city of Izmir and the Mediterranean city of Antalya, a route passing through popular vacation resorts and historic sites from the ancient city of Patara to Datça and Bodrum in Muğla province. Lanes will also be built around Lake Tuz in central Turkey. Quelle: www.dailysabah.com