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The opening ceremony was held at Burhan Felek Sports Complex for the 'International Firefighters World Championship', which was held for the 18th time in men and the 9th time in women. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu attended the official opening ceremony of the games, attended by approximately 400 firefighters from 29 countries. IMM Fire Department Head Remzi Albayrak was also present at the ceremony. İmamoğlu and Albayrak made a speech to the competitors and Istanbulites at the opening of the games, where firefighters will demonstrate their skills in climbing the tower with a hooked ladder, drawing water and throwing it at the target, and their athletic proficiency in hurdles and relay races.

“THEY RECEIVED THE BLESSING PRAYERS OF OUR NATION”

Noting that firefighting is a special professional group, İmamoğlu said, “I get really emotional every time I see a firefighter. "I proudly follow their self-sacrificing approach to profession," he said. Recalling the search and rescue teams that came from many countries of the world after the February 6 earthquakes, İmamoğlu said, “Our friends from different countries worked with all their heart and soul to save lives. They presented the best examples of brotherhood, unity and solidarity. They saved lives, and touched the lives of countless people with every life they saved. They won the love of our nation and received their blessings. On behalf of our nation, I would like to express my gratitude to all our friends who came to our aid in our difficult time, and to everyone who did not miss their support, prayers and good wishes even though they could not be here physically. I commemorate our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake. "I hope that together we will heal our wounds and ensure that life in the earthquake zone returns to normal as soon as possible," he said.

“THEY NEED TO BE FIT AND STRONG”

Stating that firefighters are racing against time while performing their duties under difficult conditions, İmamoğlu said, “They put in great physical effort. They need to be fit and strong. The teams' work in harmony and coordination is sometimes a decisive factor in saving a life. "In this sense, sports are of great importance both physically and in terms of strengthening the feelings of friendship and strengthening cooperation," he said.

“OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A LOT OF WORK”

Stating that disasters occur frequently all over the world due to changing climate and human-induced reasons, İmamoğlu said, “We experience huge forest fires in summer months in many parts of the world. Our firefighters and rescuers have a lot of work to do in these disasters. Of course, we will continue to support each other and lend a helping hand in the face of major disasters. Disaster is not only an area where nations struggle within themselves, but also a struggle of humanity at the international level, where every nation has to come to the aid of each other. We wish that we would never encounter such negativities. But we must be absolutely prepared when we encounter each other. But I would like to say this on behalf of the world. Disasters are a fact of nature. "But the fight against climate change should be a common struggle of every person and every nation in the world," he said.

“I WISH SPORTS WILL ALSO SERVE PEACE”

Stating that the championship will contribute and motivate firefighters, İmamoğlu concluded his speech as follows:

“Gatherings such as sports are moments when the humanity of the world comes together. I also define this moment of meeting, built by a profession, as a moment of fusion of humanity. On this occasion, I hope that sports will also serve peace. I hope that together, with the motivation of our martyrs, we can make our immediate geography and the whole world experience a period in which wars end and peace prevails in the world. On this occasion, I would like to once again share Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's principle of "Peace at Home, Peace in the World" with our people in the presence of all our guests. I hope our Atatürk's understanding of 'Peace at Home, Peace in the World' will be a lesson to the whole world."