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Fans at a football match in Istanbul threw thousands of stuffed animals onto the pitch to send a message to the many children affected by the recent deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Rain from giant teddy bears and other animals came during a Turkish Superliga match between Besiktas and Antalyaspor on Sunday at the city’s Vodafone Park stadium. On social media, many used the hashtag #BuOyuncakSanaArkadasımmeaning “This toy is for you my friend” to share photos and videos of the stuffed animals raining down.
The arena normally seats 42,000 people. At this particular game, a number of colorful stuffed animals were on display in the stands before flying through the air to music.
The flood of donations came 4 minutes and 17 seconds into the game – right around the time the first earthquake struck earlier this month: 4:17 am
Besiktas and Antalyaspor fans threw soft toys onto the pitch at 04:17 as a show of solidarity for the children affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria ❤️pic.twitter.com/tPRWv1cr0K
– FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) February 27, 2023
Among the toys thrown onto the playing field were pink dolls and sparkling unicorns, fluffy bunnies, monkeys, elephants and fish. Some people threw scarves and hats – donations they hoped would keep those displaced by the disaster warm in harsh winter conditions. The scene was welcomed as “incredibly moving” by some who viewed footage of the incident online.
More than 47,000 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria after two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude, struck on February 6. An estimated 93,000 buildings were partially or completely destroyed, leaving hundreds of thousands injured, trapped under the rubble or homeless. In a number of cities in Turkey, residents are still being forced to sleep in cars or tents after Turkish officials say it is the country’s worst disaster in modern history.
The Turkish government has come under fire in recent weeks for its handling of the crisis, including criticism that authorities have been too slow with initial rescue and relief efforts and that the state has not adequately responded to the crisis, despite the country’s history of devastating earthquakes disaster was prepared.
Critics have also pointed to substandard building practices across the country as a factor in the collapse of thousands of buildings in the earthquake zone. Erdogan, who is preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections in the coming months, has denounced what he calls “negative campaigning” against his government’s efforts, though acknowledging failures in the first days after the earthquakes.
On Monday in Adiyaman, a devastated city, he went further and apologized to the city’s residents, asking for their “blessings,” using a word that suggested a request for forgiveness. “Unfortunately, in the first few days in Adıyaman, we were unable to carry out the desired activity due to the devastating effects of the tremors, adverse weather conditions and difficulties caused by damaged infrastructure,” he said. “We know everything.”
At the football game on Sunday, fans at the stadium called for the government to resign, videos showed.
Soccer players and stadium workers on the pitch picked up the toys as they landed, setting them aside and applauding the crowd.
In a statement on its website, Besiktas football club thanked fans for attending the “meaningful event” that football officials said would “give morale” to children affected by the deadly earthquakes.
The club said the event was organized in partnership with Turkish shop Toyzz Shop, which said on Instagram ahead of the game that all proceeds from the sale of stuffed animals at the stadium would go to support earthquake victims.
The widespread destruction of the earthquake in photos, maps and videos
Kareem Fahim contributed to this.