Cycles for cigarettes: city gives bikes to children if a relative quits
The bicycles are given to children in the Turkish border city of Kilis if they also maintain strong grades and promise to ride for an hour a day
Standing on the street in the centre of Kilis, a small Turkish city on the border with Syria, a constant stream of noisy motorcycles, scooters and cars zoom past. It’s certainly not the most bicycle-friendly city, but local leaders are determined to change that with a new network of cycle lanes, and by giving away thousands of bikes to local children.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war seven years ago, millions of Syrians have sought shelter in Turkey. While there are refugee camps lining the border, most refugees opt to live in cities such as Kilis.
Perhaps Kilis will become a bicycle city, like [one in] Holland
Related: Welcome to cycle heaven: why we moved our family to the Netherlands
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