Turkish cities launch summer sports and education programs for thousands of kids

Municipalities across Turkey are running extensive summer programmes for children and youth. In Yıldırım, the local government operates Yaz Spor Okulları for 4‑16‑year‑olds, offering 16 sports such as swimming, football, karate and darts, with thousands of participants and a goal of “no child left without sport”. Konya’s Büyükşehir Belediyesi runs the Genç KOMEK and Bilgehane initiatives, serving about 30,000 students with sports, religious and practical workshops, while Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay stresses the “Konya model” of child‑focused education. Edirne’s summer schools, coordinated by the provincial education and youth‑sport directorates, hosted a final festival attended by the governor and over 14,700 children, highlighting the aim to keep youngsters active and away from screen time. In Diyarbakır, the Youth and Sports Ministry’s “No One Should Lack Swimming” project provides free swimming lessons to an estimated 35,000 children to prevent drowning during the hot season. Similar efforts are reported in Karatay, Kartal, and other districts, combining sports, cultural workshops, and community events to promote physical health, teamwork, discipline and social inclusion among the youth.