Renç Koçibey Remembered on 9 February

Renç Koçibey, the doyen of Turkish motorsport and Balkan Rally Champion, is being remembered on the 23rd anniversary of his death.

The memorial ceremony, organised by the Istanbul Automobile Club (İSOK), will take place at Koçibey's graveside in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery at 13:00 on Tuesday 9 February 2016.

Who Was Renç Koçibey? (1942-1993)

Renç Koçibey was born in Istanbul in 1942. Later settling in France, Koçibey made a name for cycling and motorcycling there. Returning to Istanbul during the high school years, Koçibey graduated from Saint Joseph. After a passion for motorcycles, Koçibey, the "pasha" of motorsport who developed an interest in rallying, won the 1968 Thrace Rally, the first rally held in Turkey in line with FIA rules, driving an Anadol. Koçibey went on to take many overall wins in national and international rallies in a variety of cars. Koçibey was particularly known for outstanding driving on downhill sections and in bad weather conditions.

Koçibey won the Balkan Rally Championship in 1984 and was named "the world's best Mitsubishi driver" in 1988. Having twice taken part in the Paris-Dakar Rally and most recently competed with the Renault rally team, Koçibey was preparing for hill climbs and was working on a rear-wheel-drive Renault 11 project. A married parent of two daughters, Koçibey passed away in 1993 following a road accident near Izmit...