Frozen Gökçedere Dam Lake located in Turkey's Bayburt province attracts ice skate lovers

The frozen Gökçedere Dam Lake with its fascinating and picturesque landscape in Turkey's northeastern Bayburt province attracts those who want to skate on ice during winter.

The surface of the lake created for agricultural irrigation and cage fishing in the Gökçedere town of the Demirözü district gets frozen every year during the harsh winter season.

The town does not have an ice rink, but the youth turn the frozen lake into one and enjoy skating on the ice, some with their skates and others just with shoes.

Bayburt Mayor Yavuz Bakır told Anadolu Agency that they are happy that the lake and its surroundings, which attract many tourists during summer, also become attractive for the youth when the temperature falls below the freezing point of water.

"Hopefully, as we complete construction of planned facilities here in the summer season, we will also have an opportunity to build an ice skating rink, which will also benefit the tourism," he said.

Bakır stressed that the thickness of ice was not "at the expected level" and even thinner this year compared to other years due to drought, adding that with the closed irrigation system they will implement, it will be possible to reach the required level of thickness by keeping the water "at the desired level".