Bosphorus Bridge illuminated in pink for women cancers
A group of cyclists
have completed a journey from Vienna to Istanbul, organized in order to raise
awareness for cancers which affect women, while the Bosphorus Bridge was lit up
in pink as a show of support.
The “We say stop! to women cancers” tour was
jointly organized by Turkey's Health Ministry and the European Society of
Gynecological Oncology as part of the “Ride for Women” tours, which take place
across a number of European countries each year.
This year's route began in Vienna and ended in
Istanbul with stopovers in Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece.
European cyclists were greeted by a second group of Turkish cyclists who cycled
from Ankara to Istanbul.
As part of the activity, the Bosphorus Bridge,
which connects the European and Anatolian sides of Turkey's largest city, was
lit up in pink on May 14.
The final phase of the tour was cycling over the
bridge alongside state officials and civil society organizations, including
Turkish Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, who also pedaled.
“What matters is that we care for ourselves. To
respect [ourselves] and to plan for a healthy future with our loved ones,”
Müezzinoğlu said in a speech to reporters, highlighting the importance of
adopting a healthy life style in order to avoid cancer.
“[One should] stay away from tobacco products
and alcoholism, eat healthy and lead an active life. These three protect
against cancer around 50 percent,” he added.
May/15/2016