Teddy bears of Turkey earthquake survivors fill the football stadium in Istanbul

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Fans at a soccer match in Istanbul threw thousands of soft toys onto the field in an attempt to send a message to the many children affected by the deadly earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria this month.

The giant teddy bears and other animals fell during a Turkish Super League match between Besiktas and Antalyaspor on Sunday at the city’s Vodafone Park stadium. On social media, many have used the hashtag #BuOyuncakSanaArkadasım, which means, “This game is for you my friend” to share photos and videos of the plush animals raining down.

The arena usually seats 42,000 people. In this match, though, an array of multicolored stuffed animals can be seen in the stands before they are sent flying through the air as the music plays.

The influx of donations came 4 minutes 17 seconds into the game – marking the exact time the first quake hit: 4:17 a.m.

How to help those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Beşiktaş and Antalyaspor fans threw stuffed toys onto the field at 04:17 as a sign of solidarity for the children affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria ❤️pic.twitter.com / tPRWv1cr0K

– FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) February 27, 2023

Pink dolls, shiny unicorns, fluffy bunnies, monkeys, elephants and fish are among the toys thrown on the field. Some people threw away scarves and hats – they hoped the donations would keep those displaced by the disaster warm amid the harsh winter weather. Some of those who watched the scene online hailed it as “incredibly moving”.

More than 47,000 people were killed across Turkey and Syria after two powerful earthquakes – measuring 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale – struck on February 6. An estimated 93,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands injured, trapped under rubble or homeless. In a number of cities in Turkey, residents are still sleeping in cars or tents after what Turkish officials described as the country’s biggest disaster in modern history.

The region has also been hit by devastating aftershocks, including a 5.6 earthquake early Monday that killed at least one person and injured dozens in the southern city of Kahramanmaras. Farther east, in the town of Yesliurt, a four-storey building collapsed, and a father and daughter are believed to be trapped under the rubble, the mayor told Turkish outlets.

The Turkish government has come under criticism in recent weeks for its handling of the crisis, including that the authorities were too slow with initial rescue and relief efforts, and that the country was inadequately prepared for the disaster despite the country’s history of devastating earthquakes. .

Critics have also pointed to substandard building practices across the country as a factor in the collapse of thousands of buildings in the quake zone. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections in the coming months, denounced what he called “negative campaigns” targeting his government’s efforts, although he admitted mistakes in the first few days after the earthquakes.

On Monday in Adiyaman, the devastated city, he went further, apologizing to the townspeople by asking for their “blessing”, using a word suggestive of asking for forgiveness. “Unfortunately, we could not carry out the activity we wanted in Adiyaman in the first few days due to the devastating effects of earthquakes, bad weather conditions and difficulties caused by damaged infrastructure,” he said. “We know everything.”

Videos showed during the soccer match on Sunday, fans in the stadium chanted, calling for the government to resign.

Football players and stadium workers at the stadium picked up the toys as they went down, and put them aside before applauding the crowd.

In a statement on its website, Besiktas Football Club thanked fans for their participation in the “meaningful event”, which football officials said would give “spirit” to children affected by the deadly earthquakes.

The club said that the event was organized in partnership with the Turkish store “Toys Shop”, which said on Instagram before the match that all proceeds from the soft toys sold at the stadium will go to help the earthquake victims.

Extensive earthquake devastation with photos, maps and videos

Karim Fahim in Istanbul contributed to this report.

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