Istanbul witnessed on Sunday a chicken beauty pageant dubbed "Turkish National Poultry Exhibition" and organized by the Union of Ornamental Chicken and Animals of the Turkish Garden.
The pageant, which was held for the first time in Istanbul, was attended by 600 chickens from 32 Turkish states.
Omar Klich-Oglu, president of the Union of Ornamental Chicken, said that 80 poultry breeders from the 32 states participated in the competition.
He added that the most beautiful chicken competitions, organized annually in a number of Turkish states, are seeing wider participation.
He also revealed that this hobby has an economic aspect as well, pointing out that the expansion in ornamental chicken breeding, and the transformation of this type of chicken into trade, will boost the Turkish economy as many countries, including Kuwait, Iraq and Iran, spend millions of dollars yearly to buy chickens from European countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium.
