Jog-and-litter-picking in Girne Castle
TOURISTS applauded and others looked confused as young sports-clad Lefkoşa professionals stormed through the grounds of Girne Castle and the neighbouring yacht harbour last Saturday evening to jog and pick up litter.
The group of around 20 civic-minded “ploggers” assembled in Girne’s Baldöken car park to hand out plastic bags and gloves, pin on their Zibilling logos and set to work on Girne’s litter problem.
The TRNC movement was named “Zibilling” after the Cypriot word for rubbish, “zibil”, after the Swedish-origin “plogging” jogging-and-litter-picking craze caught on.
“We just want to raise awareness. Join in!” said bio-med technician Mustafa Sipahi, 24, as they scoured the car park and headed down to the castle to collect abandoned beer and plastic bottles, cans and other litter.
“We are recycling as we go,” said Mr Sipahi. “Some of us
are collecting plastic and others glass or aluminium cans.”
A drone recorded their efforts as they spread out to clear the castle area before sweeping past diners in the harbour, rubbish bags in hand, to be applauded by Dutch tourists Anka Kovaci and Marjan Vonk.
Ms Vonk said: “This is so great to see! We have been coming here for 10 years now. Mind you, I live in Amsterdam and you should see the rubbish there!”
Spokesperson and Lefkoşa Turkish Municipality councillor Öykü Akcan said: “We are all in our twenties and we have engineers, an architecture student and even a construction company director amongst us.
“Zibilling is not political. It’s for everyone. We are all members of the Republican Turkish Party youth wing but we are doing this as a group of individuals who are concerned about our environment.”
The Zibillers plan more weekend “plogging” in Gazimağusa, Lefke, Güzelyurt and İskele — for information or to contact the group, visit their “Zibilling” Facebook page.