Çeşme: City of Winds - A Sailor's Paradise on Turkey's Aegean Coast

I want to take you to the places where I lived for exactly 11 years.

I loved Çeşme so much, it has taken such a place in my life, I travel everywhere, and when I no longer have the strength to travel, I think of only one place to live in; Çeşme.

Çeşme's wind is truly wind, its sea is truly sea, its beach is truly beach. Once your swimsuit touches the water, you can't leave this place. That's probably why it's unknown.

My beautiful town has changed a lot, has changed, has kept pace with the world. Whether it was good or bad, I don't know. One of our country's first highways was built years ago as the İzmir-Çeşme road. The regular road that held memories within it suddenly disappeared, faded away.

The highway compressed Çeşme into time. This road also brought trucks to the Port built in Çeşme.

It particularly became the departure port for ro-ro services operating to Italy. At the same time, with the ease of transfer, Chios Island across from it truly became a neighbor's door with ferries. There are intense ferry services to Chios Island summer and winter. Those who visit neighbors with their own vessels are another matter.

Especially in Çeşme, which became famous for its mastic gum, historical structures, and castle, a marina befitting it also changed the entire social and economic structure.

Maritime activities developed, sailors multiplied, boats filled Çeşme, and it became one of the important centers for yacht racing.

There used to be one or two stores, two or three restaurants, and an ice cream shop. Now they have multiplied and multiplied. That's beautiful too. Çeşme has opened its arms to those who recognize the beauty and want to see these places.

I'm resisting describing Çeşme myself, because if I do, pages won't be enough. It's better to talk to those who know it best, those who have witnessed the change and development.

First, I wanted to visit Erdem Uzun, who has been supplying materials to the maritime sector for years. Where has the sector, Çeşme, and maritime come from those years when we couldn't even find a single screw.

ERDEM UZUN

"We are immigrants from Thessaloniki. I have been working in the maritime sector in the region since 1987. I supply and sell marine equipment in Ilıca, Alaçatı, and Çeşme. Since then, maritime activities in the region have gradually progressed.

In the years when I started working, there were no imported materials. People would buy whatever they could find. Even a small item would be awaited for days, sometimes months. Now whatever you're looking for can be found, and there are also options available. With the opening of marinas in the region, the number of boats has multiplied. Workshops and craftsmen serving the sector have increased.p>

The construction of the port also added a lot to Çeşme. It's another thing that energizes this place in terms of Chios tours. Demand increases especially during summer months. We're intertwined with Chios Island. We also sell supplies there."

Next is the marina right in the center of Çeşme. While walking along the road, we see a channel flowing from the middle of the street directly into the marina. Bright green, pitch-black waters are flowing into the heart of Çeşme. Barrier systems block debris and sticks, but what about that untreated sewage? The flowing water has no Blue Flag certificate, nor do the institutions discharging it have the obligation to hold a Blue Flag certificate. This scene is unbecoming of Çeşme. The marina doesn't know what to do either. I came to the marina to find the manager.

CAN AKALTAN

"Çeşme is a sailing town on the North-South route for mariners, very close to İzmir, neighboring Chios Island.

Çeşme Marina is a company that raises the bar for Çeşme in social, economic and cultural terms. It also contributes economically.

Direct employment is provided for a thousand people, and indirectly for many more. A marine vessel maintenance and repair sector has been established in the town. Within the marina, 50 commercial firms provide services. People work in these establishments. The state receives its share as tax from the circulating economy.

Çeşme Marina was selected as the world's best marina in 2014. We are part of the world-renowned Camper&Nicholsons Marina chain. We are the first marina within the chain to have earned such an award to date.

Çeşme is a rising value in Turkey and I believe the marina's influence has contributed to this. We also contribute to Çeşme by supporting sailing sports and yacht races.

I leave Can Bey and pass by Çeşme Castle. It's impossible to simply pass by that dignified, majestic castle.

Years rewind again like a film strip. To the early years when I was involved in organizing the Çeşme Sea Festivals. The voices of many beloved distinguished artists from around the world and our country reach my ears as I climb the castle stairs. The clips and documentaries we shot in front of the bastions.

Çeşme Castle was built in 1508 during the Ottoman period. It bears all the characteristics of Ottoman architecture. Inside the castle is the Çeşme Archaeological Museum. The museum displays artifacts found during excavations in the ancient city of Ildırı.

The Caravanserai near Çeşme Castle was built in 1529 under the directive of Suleiman the Magnificent. Its restoration has been completed and it currently operates as a hotel.

Saluting the Castle and Caravanserai, we continue on our way. On the roadside stands the statue of Mevhibe and İsmet İnönü.

Right behind it, on the mountains, a inscription reads:

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DREAMS COME TRUE IN ÇEŞME.

Leaving those beautiful streets behind, I head from the quay to the small hotel of a friend of mine, born in Çeşme, who has been living here for 10 years.

I had worked with Fatih on the Ferhunde Hanımlar series. He was a TRT cameraman. Later he left TRT and went to work at the first private television stations that opened, becoming an Istanbulite. He worked as director of photography on many series and programs. While he was a successful, beloved, and preferred professional in his field, his love of the sea led us to work together on marine documentaries for 2 years. His father was one of the first Coast Guard captains. He carried out coastal protection in the Aegean and Mediterranean with practically a single boat until the end of his life.

Unlike Fatih, he is terribly afraid of the sea, asks about the meteorology repeatedly before setting sail, and luckily for him the sea was always calm. Perhaps for the sake of his late father's memory. While we were doing those programs, his sister came up with the idea of building a hotel on their father's land in Çeşme. Our Fatih took off to Çeşme. No camera, no television, he simply returned to life from the Istanbul cauldron. His only luxury is Bornavalı's coffee shop where he goes in the afternoons. A master stone setter.

FATİH BİTİŞYILMAZ

"My mother and father are from the Black Sea region.

My father is a seaman and was a Coast Guard patrol boat captain in his time. He served on all coasts, he had no specific location. My mother got pregnant in Foça but I was born in Çeşme where they came on duty. In fact, my mother didn't want to come to Çeşme at that time. But once she came, she didn't want to leave. I was born in Çeşme. I received my primary and secondary education here, high school in İzmir, and completed my university education in Istanbul.

I continued my professional life as a Cameraman, first at TRT and then at many private channels and different projects.

Our life passed in the house above this building we are in. 10 years ago we made a family decision. We took out a loan and converted the old building into a small hotel and we live here. We are a small business but we live happily.

Our mother is at the helm. My sister and I both run the hotel and enjoy life in this beautiful town.

Çeşme also underwent change with the new world order. Years ago, greengrocers would cover their stalls with cloth and close their shops. Nobody would bother anyone else's goods, and life was peaceful. Now that money has become the center of everything, Çeşme naturally took its share of this. From that perspective, Çeşme is very beautiful. Everyone is making their money. When we sacrifice animals for the feast, there's no one in need that you could give to. This is the reality.

Of course, the old Çeşme with its pure, clean friendships is no more. Everything is money-oriented. This place used to be crowded only in summer months, now it fills up in winter too. It has become a center of attraction. In the past, you could barely see 1-2 cars on the streets, now you can't find a place to park.

I love Çeşme very much and I am very, very happy to be here."

I left Fatih's side. His sister immediately took me to the fishing shelter next to the hotel, to introduce me to the old fishermen. The film reel inside the shelter rewound. There were hundreds of people here during the festival races we held with Halit Kıvanç. What a festival it was, races, winners, losers, even greasy pole competitions. Oh those days. We are with the fishermen who earn their living from the wild Çeşme sea with their colorful rowing boats inside the shelter.

Captain Mustafa is telling us about the past and present. Where we were, where we've come to.

MUSTAFA TAŞKIRAN

"I am a born and raised Çeşme native. I have been fishing for 40 years. I know the Çeşme sea by heart. Where the rocks are, where the hollows are, where the fish are - it's all in my memory. In the old days, when the sun rose, we would cast 6 sets of nets. We would pull out 10 crates of red mullet and 30-40 kilos of different fish from our seas.

The fish are gone, fishing is dying. Now if there weren't some red mullet, we'd go hungry. We can only catch 2-3 kilos a day, and that's only in favorable weather.

The fish have fled to 70-80 meters deep and offshore. In the past, there was a seabed structure that resembled a virgin forest. There were rock crevices where fish could breed, places on the bottom where they could hide. We knew them by heart and would fish without depleting their stock. Now, with modern technology, large trawler vessels have changed the bottom structure. The seabed is now flat as a football field.

Trawler vessels have chains in front of the nets they drag along the bottom. These chains leave no stone, no soil, no rock, no nest, no place to escape. The Coast Guard doesn't know who to deal with. They can't figure out what to do with the trawler or the illegal fisherman.

In the region, most fish are inside the marina. Sea bass that have taken refuge in the protected area are very large. They're hiding there, living without being harmed."

I'm leaving the harbor, heading to visit my sailing friends Canan and Fatih, whom I've been following from afar for at least 10 years. Two pharmacists, sea lovers, sailors, racers, passionate about Çeşme, the pride of Çeşme's yacht races. Canan has a pharmacy called Canan, Fatih has one called Fatih. Fatih is a national sailor who came up through Karşıyaka Egeyat. Canan took the helm in 2000 and has been at the helm ever since. With a crew member like Fatih, the helmsman can relax. They've been living here for many years. Should I describe them, or should the microphone go to Canan and Fatih.

CANAN-FATİH AYDEMİR

"We're both pharmacists. While practicing pharmacy in İzmir, we opened our first pharmacy in Çeşme in 1986. Çeşme used to be a place with a very short season. It would come alive when schools closed and become deserted when İzmir Fair opened. It had a season of 2-2.5 months. For this reason, opening a business commercially wasn't possible when considering the whole year.

The ease of raising our child also led us to settle here. In recent years, Çeşme has become more active. Marinas have opened. Those who found berths for boats became boat owners. The number of sailors increased.

Clubs were established, races are being organized. Initially we had a small boat. We became involved with racers and were part of all activities in the region. Over time, we bought our own boat, formed our crew, and started participating in races.

We participate in yacht races in 3 different regions, specifically in the Izmir Region, Bodrum, and Marmaris, and we are quite competitive.

We are very happy to be in Çeşme and to live intertwined with the sea."

Yes, we were in Çeşme. We recalled our memories, chatted with our maritime friends, and captured some footage. We'll drop by again one day. Now I'm crossing over to the neighbor across the way to see the lights of this coast from there.

Stay healthy and safe.