Teddy Bears Rain Down on Field During Turkish Soccer Match to Honor Child Victims of Earthquake

Julia Moore
·3 min read
Teddy Bears Rain Down on Field During Turkish Soccer Match to Honor Child Victims of Earthquake

Soccer fans in Turkey paid an emotional tribute to the child victims of the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake Sunday.

At the four-minute and 17-second mark of the game between Besiktas and Antalyaspor, fans flooded the field of Vodafone Park, in Istanbul, with hundreds of teddy bears and other stuffed animals.

The time was specifically chosen to represent the time the "major" earthquake struck the country, at 4:17 a.m. on Feb. 6. Tragically, it was followed hours later by a second quake, registering at 7.6-magnitude.

The soft toys will now all be donated to the children affected by the earthquake that devastated both Turkey and nearby Syria.

"Our fans organized a meaningful event called 'This toy is my friend' during the match in order to give morale to the children affected by the earthquake," the Besiktas team said about the event at their home stadium, reported the BBC. "The fans threw scarves, berets and plush toys to be given as a gift to the children in the earthquake region."

Besiktas defender Tayyip Sanuc said he was "very touched" by the event the fans organized, added the BBC.

"There are more important things than football. We are going through difficult times as a country. Together we will heal the wounds," he continued. "I hope we never experience such a disaster again."

Teddy bears and toys thrown on the field to be sent to the earthquake zone of the Vodafone Park Stadium prior to the Turkish Super Lig soccer match between Besiktas and Fraport TAV Antalyaspor, in Istanbul, Turkiye on February 26, 2023. On Feb.6 a strong 7.7 earthquake, centered in the Pazarcik district, jolted Kahramanmaras and strongly shook several provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis. On the same day at 1.24 p.m. (1024GMT), a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras' Elbistan district struck the region.

Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty

In an alarming moment for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, some fans also took the moment to chant "government resign" in protest at the government's response to the earthquake, which has killed more than 50,000 people in the region, CNN reported.

The chanting prompted Erdoğan's government leader Devlet Bahceli to end his Beşiktaş membership and call for future games to be played without fans in attendance, added CNN.

Fans of Besiktas throw Teddy bears onto the field in support for the earthquake victim children and to commemorate the dead children on February 26, 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye. The death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has topped 45,000, with search and rescue teams starting to wind down their work.
Fans of Besiktas throw Teddy bears onto the field in support for the earthquake victim children and to commemorate the dead children on February 26, 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye. The death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has topped 45,000, with search and rescue teams starting to wind down their work.

Huseyin Yavuz / dia images via Getty

Erdoğan, who called the quake "the disaster of the century" in the days following it, has been widely criticized for his government's response to the earthquake and lack of preparedness in advance.

RELATED: Ghanaian Soccer Star Christian Atsu Found Dead Under His Building in Turkey Earthquake Rubble

ans of Besiktas throw Teddy bears onto the field in support for the earthquake victim children and to commemorate the dead children on February 26, 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye. The death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has topped 45,000, with search and rescue teams starting to wind down their work.
ans of Besiktas throw Teddy bears onto the field in support for the earthquake victim children and to commemorate the dead children on February 26, 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye. The death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has topped 45,000, with search and rescue teams starting to wind down their work.

Huseyin Yavuz / dia images via Getty

In Adiyaman, a southeastern city in Turkey, resident Nursen Guler told NBC News that she was disappointed with the official response as she had one son in the hospital and another still trapped under the rubble. "Nobody was here to help us, I have complaints about all the authorities here," she said. "There are no teams here, everyone is waiting for rescue teams."

Guler added that while people in Adiyaman had previously been supportive of Erdoğan, the earthquake had changed many people's minds. "Now we don't see him by our side," she continued.

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The Feb. 6 earthquake is the strongest to hit worldwide since 2015, when a 7.8-magnitude quake left 8,800 people dead in Nepal.

To help earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, consider donating to these organizations: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders, GlobalGiving, Save the Children, and The Syrian American Medical Society.