Cyclists on Istanbul street to raise awareness of traffic

ISTANBUL, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Around 500 cyclists pedaled on the street in Istanbul on Friday to raise awareness of traffic in the most populous and congested city in Turkey.

The bicyclers, mostly in red T-shirts with the pattern of national flag, gathered in Istanbul's Yenikapi Square and moved on a 30-km-long track on the highway.

"With this rally, we intend to draw the attention of the drivers in Istanbul's traffic, asking them to pay respect to the cyclists," Murat Kazanasmaz, head of the Istanbul cyclists union, told Xinhua. "They should remember that we are in the traffic as well."

The event was intended for May 19, declared by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, as Youth Day in 1919, said Kazanasmaz.