In this weeks round up of the local news couples rush to marry before Ramazan, British man goes missing on the Lycian Way, another paragliding accident, wrestlers get feisty, forest fires down and Ramazan drummers enlisted.

Wedding Rush

Last weekend was the final weekend to get married before Ramazan starts.

Couple do not marry during the holy month of fasting.

A couple of our regular readers e-mailed to tell us they had been invited to no less than fourteen weddings over the weekend.  

Can anyone beat that?

British Man Missing on Lycian Way

Last Monday 68-year-old John Kirkham, a retired British Aerospace manager and very fit, experienced walker, on holiday in Ovacık with wife and grandchildren, set off to walk part of the Lycian Way near Hisaronu– and hasn’t been seen since. 

John was carrying adequate water, a compass, food and a mobile phone.  

As the week went by searching for him involved more and more people, tracker dogs and police, jandarma and even the military. 

But as this was being finalised on Saturday, there was still no sign of John. 

His wife, Sandra, told the Daily Telegraph on Friday “I’ve been overwhelmed by all the support and positive response of the local authorities and people. 

They’ve been unstinting in their kindness, generosity and sheer energy and input they’ve used to try and find John. 

I’m confident that everything that can be done is being done and I’m not giving up hope that I will be re-united with my husband soon. 

By Saturday the Jandarma were talking of scaling down the hunt and John’s family were claiming he may have been abducted.

Another Paragliding Incident

Also on Monday another paragliding accident took place above Oludeniz when a Turkish tourist and his pilot fell shortly after taking off, as a gust of wind hit the parachute and the pilot helicopter suffering from serious internal injuries. 

Having delivered him safely to the hospital the helicopter returned to pick up the pilot who wasn’t gravely injured.  

Wrestlers Get Feisty

Last weekend at the grease wrestling tournament in Seki, Fethiye a fight broke out between the wrestlers. 

It quickly spread to almost all the wrestlers in the stadium which must have been quite a sight. 

Fortunately the audience included a number of Jandarma, who went out onto the field and broke up the fight. 

If any reader was there and has photos please send them!

Number of Forest Fires Down

A small forest fire which broke out in the Deliktaş area of Fethiye on Friday consumed 5,000sq.m. of forest, and came within 200m of dwellings, before being brought under control. 

The picture right shows a fire control helicopter fighting the fire.

Meanwhile the National Director of the Turkish Forestry Commission, on holiday in Bodrum, announced that forest fires so far this year are down on last year’s figures. 

In fact this year less than half the volume of forest has been destroyed since January compared to the same period last year.

Bang Bang, Wake Up!

And finally, for readers living in downtown Fethiye, this year 14 Ramazan drummers have been licensed by the Belediye, to go around drumming and waking people up in the middle of the night for their last meal before the day’s fasting begins. 

The off tempo drum beat is very effective at waking people up and no matter how good your windows or walls the beat will somehow find you.

They are allowed to knock on doors and collect money for their efforts twice during Ramazan.