Turkish Turtle Breaks Israeli Blockade of Gaza

turtle links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 August 2011)

Tuğçe Barış, one of two Caretta Caretta sea turtles fitted with chips by the
Special Environmental Protection Council (SEPC) for satellite tracking,
has reached Gaza after setting out from Iztuzu Beach in Dalyan. SEPC
Chief Ahmet Özyanık said jokingly that 'it's gone to Gaza and broken
through Israel's blockade.'

SEPC attached the TR-90 number chips to two turtles within the scope of
the Sea Turtle Research and Protection Project in July. Muğla Province's
Deputy Governor Ahmet Ali Barış gave the name Tuğçe Barış ('barış'
means 'peace') to one of the 60 year-old turtles with the wish that it
would bring peace to Mediterranean countries. A code name was given
to the other turtle. The chip-carrying turtles' paths were tracked via the
website http://www.seaturtle.org/. After heading into the sea from Iztuzu Beach
at midnight on 7 July, Tuğçe Barış reached Gaza in 35 days, covering
1056 kilometers during the journey.

When SEPC Chief Özyanık learned that his turtle had reached Gaza he
said 'this is an international web site. We see where it went. Tuğçe Barış
is currently in Gaza. It's track is certain. The other turtle set out from
Fethiye and went to Marmarıs and two Greek islands. Right now its
roaming around the shore near Bodrum.'