Fevzi Erdem combined his dream of touring Türkiye in its entirety with his ambition to lose weight and in seven months, shed 45 kilograms (99 pounds). The 37-year-old Turkish man says he adhered to a strict program, 15,000 steps every day, something he stuck to in each of the country's 81 provinces.

His tour, which started in Edirne on Türkiye’s northwestern tip, ended in Ağrı in easternmost Türkiye. Here, on the outskirts of Mount Ağrı (Ararat), Erdem buried his old clothes now too loose for him.

Originally from Istanbul, Erdem traveled to Edirne by train and started out his journey on Feb. 15. Outside his 15,000 steps regiment, he traveled to each province by train, bus or car. He says he found an opportunity to see the historic and natural beauties of the country.

Confined in the house during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made its foray into Türkiye in 2020, Erdem says he quickly gained weight as was up to 170 kilograms in two years. He now wants to create a documentary with videos he shot during his journey. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday in Iğdır, which neighbors Ağrı, Erdem said his ultimate goal is to inspire people to "start walking" and be more cautious about obesity. "I feel lucky, peaceful and healthy now," he says. Summing up his journey, Erdem said he was warmly welcomed in each province he visited.

"You don’t have to do what I did but even a short trip to the supermarket, moving around a bit more in your daily life will positively contribute to your life quality. Please go out and move," he says.