Mayor offers Mohamed Salah ‘climate change-proof’ land in Trabzon

A district mayor in Trabzon has offered Mohamed Salah, who today signed a two-year deal with Süper Lig team Trabzonspor, land that he said would remain cool and habitable as climate change worsens.

Salah traveled to the Araklı district following the signing ceremony for an advertising shoot, where he met the district mayor, Hüseyin Avni Coşkun Çebi, local media reported.

In a video filmed there, Çebi is seen telling Salah through an interpreter, “The two countries are similar. Although both are very beautiful, their people struggle with poverty,” referring to Turkey and Salah’s country, Egypt.

The mayor then abruptly turns to climate change: “Global warming is threatening the world. In the future, it will become difficult to live in Egypt during the summer. Our district will be very livable in those years. It will be among the places least affected by global warming.

“Therefore, let us give you a beautiful piece of land here. It can be a wonderful place for your children and grandchildren, with no water problems and unaffected by global warming.”

Salah appears confused and scratches his face as the mayor speaks. He then smiles, says, “Thank you,” and shakes Çebi’s hand.

Trabzon, a province of around 825,000 people, lies on Turkey’s northeastern Black Sea coast. While its coastal areas feature dense and unplanned development, its mountainous interior is forested and cool.

The province is expected to be less affected by climate change than the Mediterranean basin, which includes southern Turkey and Egypt.

The 34-year-old right winger, widely considered among the best football players of his generation, will receive an annual salary of 7 million euros and a signing-on fee of 10 million euros from Trabzonspor, according to a public disclosure by the club.

In recent years, astronomical fees and salaries paid by Turkey’s major football clubs have become a subject of public criticism in the country, where the monthly minimum wage is 28,000 liras, or slightly more than 500 euros, and a significant share of workers earn that amount.

Trabzonspor holds a central place in the city’s identity. The club has won seven Süper Lig titles and claimed its most recent championship in 2022 after a decades-long wait. It is considered Turkey’s fourth-biggest club after İstanbul’s “Big Three.” (VK)