How locals are swimming between continents in Istanbul

People relaxing on a beach on the Black Sea coast in the Sile district of Istanbul province. Photos: Ozan Kose/AFP

Every morning, his skin bronzed by the sun, pensioner Metin Cakmakci rushes to grab a deckchair under a parasol on his local beach on the Asian side of Istanbul.

"A sea like this for a gigantic city such as Istanbul – it's not bad," the 74-year-old smiles, pointing to the crystal-clear water facing the Princes' Islands on the Sea of Marmara.