Over the three years since the disaster of the century, buildings have risen and roads have been renewed, yet for the Bülbülzade Foundation, solidarity has never ended. The helping hand extended to the earthquake regions on the very first day has today turned into a bridge of hope, continuing to touch lives.Exactly three years ago, on a cold February morning when the clock showed 04:17, Türkiye awoke to the deepest darkness in its history. In just seconds, thousands of stories were left unfinished, dreams were buried beneath piles of concrete, and screams hung in the freezing air. When we opened our eyes on the morning of February 6, 2023, none of us were the same anymore. That great pain rising across 11 of our cities still holds its place in our hearts, even after three years.We commemorate every life we lost in the disaster of the century with endless love, infinite respect, and an indescribable longing. Their precious memory is the greatest motivation behind our efforts to keep hope alive in the region today.WE HAVE DONE SO MUCH IN THREE YEARSWithin the scope of the “Life-Giving Jobs” project, supported by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Türkiye and carried out by the Belkıs Association, we opened cooking and pastry workshops at our foundation.Through the project “Be a Light for the Future: Education and Training Support Project for Youth Affected by Disaster,” supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, we conducted a 10-month support program in the Nurdağı and İslahiye districts under the coordination of the Bülbülzade Association.As part of the “For Happy Tomorrows” project, carried out by the Mosaic Association and supported by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Türkiye, we organized cultural and artistic trips, picnic activities, and city tours.We organized psychosocial and cultural activities to help earthquake-affected families hold on to life again.In Nurdağı and İslahiye, we established Child Life Centers to reduce trauma caused by the earthquake, support education, offer children alternative spaces, nurture hope during the days spent in the disaster zone, and overcome difficulties together.To support women’s participation in economic life and contribute to their social rehabilitation processes, we established tailoring and sewing workshops in İslahiye and Nurdağı.Through the Vocational Qualification Courses we launched in Nurdağı and İslahiye, we supported citizens in gaining new skills and re-entering economic life.We delivered your sacrificial donations to those in need by performing the sacrifices in the earthquake regions and set up large iftar tables during Ramadan. We strengthened our sense of brotherhood.As part of our cultural initiatives, we opened Summer Schools in the earthquake regions.OUR PROMISE STANDS: WE ARE WITH YOUAs the Bülbülzade Foundation, we never once withdrew the hand we extended to the region as dawn broke after that pitch-dark night, throughout the past 1,095 days. Yes, today buildings have risen, debris has been cleared, and life has begun to flourish again in our neighborhoods. But we continue to stand firmly behind the promise we made that day: “You will never be alone.” At a time when the physical traces of the earthquake are beginning to fade, we continue our work without interruption to ensure lasting social and emotional recovery in Nurdağı and İslahiye.Cities can be rebuilt, roads can be reconstructed, but the void left by those we lost can only be filled with solidarity, love, and never abandoning one another.May their souls rest in peace. Their memories will always live on with us.

The Chairman of the Board of the Bülbülzade Foundation and the accompanying delegation visited the headquarters of WEFA Humanitarian Aid Organization to discuss potential cooperation in crisis regions and in the field of education.The Chairman of the Board of the Bülbülzade Foundation and the accompanying delegation paid a visit to the headquarters of WEFA Humanitarian Aid Organization, which operates in Cologne, Germany. The delegation was hosted by WEFA Chairman of the Board Hakan Musab Aydın and members of the board. During the meeting, information was shared about the social, humanitarian, and cultural activities carried out by the Bülbülzade Foundation in Türkiye. In particular, potential joint humanitarian aid initiatives and field-based cooperation opportunities, especially in earthquake-affected areas and other crisis regions, were discussed.Within the scope of the visit, education- and youth-oriented projects that could be carried out in cooperation with Genç WEFA and WEFA Academy, which operate under WEFA, were also brought to the agenda. Mutual evaluations were made regarding youth-focused activities, volunteer models, and educational programs.

Bülbülzade Association has signed a comprehensive cooperation protocol covering education, culture, and youth fields with the US Academicians Platform (USAP), which operates in Cologne, Germany.Turgay Aldemir, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bülbülzade Association and Bülbülzade Foundation, along with his accompanying delegation, paid a working visit to Cologne, Germany, with the aim of strengthening civil society networks in Europe and expanding areas of joint cooperation. Organized within the scope of the Erasmus+ KA151 Youth Accreditation, the visit aimed to establish more systematic and sustainable institutional relations.OBSERVATION IN THE EUROPEAN FIELDThe visit was combined with field activities carried out within the framework of Bülbülzade Association’s KA151 Youth Accreditation. In this context, the delegation examined the activities conducted by the US Academicians Platform on site and exchanged experiences regarding civil society models in Europe. Hosting the delegation, US Academicians Platform President Hasan Emre Aydın provided detailed information on the platform’s academic activities in Cologne, cultural initiatives aimed at Turkish communities, and partnerships developed with German institutions. Aydın and the foundation delegation particularly focused on strategies to enhance the civic participation of the Turkish community living in Europe.ERASMUS+ MOBILITIES TO CONTINUEHaving previously partnered in international projects such as “Young Leaders for Green Solutions” and “Civil Society Volunteering,” the two institutions aim to take their cooperation one step further in the new period. With the signing of the protocol, both parties agreed on academic exchange programs and seminar series, cultural identity initiatives for Turkish youth in Europe, joint Erasmus+ mobilities, and strategic partnerships.With this agreement, Bülbülzade Association and the US Academicians Platform will continue to strengthen bridges between Turkey and Turkish civil society organizations in Europe, offering new opportunities to the youth and academic communities.

As Bülbülzade Foundation, we have renewed our long-standing cooperation protocol with the Netherlands-based European Aid Foundation (AIDEF). By expanding the scope of our joint efforts in humanitarian aid, education, and culture, we have entered a new phase of collaboration.A delegation consisting of our Chairman of the Board, Turgay Aldemir, board members, and unit managers paid a working visit to the European Aid Foundation (AIDEF), which operates in the city of Tilburg in the Netherlands. The meetings held during the visit were concluded with an official signing ceremony that strengthened the cooperation between the two institutions. The expanded cooperation protocol was signed by our Chairman of the Board, Turgay Aldemir, and Ahmet Mihmat, representative of the European Aid Foundation. Our joint field activities, which we have been carrying out together for many years, have entered a new stage with this protocol.THE NEW DIRECTION OF COOPERATIONWithin the scope of the renewed protocol, we will continue to carry out coordinated humanitarian aid activities in common crisis regions, implement exchange programs that will build bridges between young people in Europe and Türkiye, organize academic and cultural events, and hold joint seminars and workshops aimed at strengthening civil society. During our visit, we also had the opportunity to examine the European Aid Foundation’s activities in the Netherlands on site and engaged in an extensive exchange of views.

As Hayata Dokun Yetim Association, we have added a new one to our events organized to contribute to the social and personal development of young people. At today’s breakfast program, we brought Education Coach Şerif Pak together with university students and highlighted the critical role of hobbies in the career journey.Although success today is often measured solely by academic or professional titles, what truly completes an individual are the passions they fit outside of work and school hours. Acquiring a hobby is not merely “spending free time,” but a journey of discovering one’s own potential. While hobbies offer a mental escape, they also provide a social harbor where we can meet people on similar frequencies. Especially for young people at the beginning of their career paths, a hobby is one of the most powerful personal development tools—stimulating creativity, teaching stress management, and naturally offering networking opportunities. With this perspective, Hayata Dokun Yetim Association brought students together with Education and Career Coach Şerif Pak at a breakfast program.THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOXThe main theme of the program, held at Zade Life Hotel, was “The Impact of Acquiring a Hobby on Personal and Professional Life.” The program began with an opening speech by Hatice Sohbet, a Member of the Board of Directors of our association. During his speech, Şerif Pak emphasized that hobbies are not merely tools to fill free time, but also strategic keys that open doors in professional careers. Sharing examples from his own career path, Pak stated that coming together with people who share common interests naturally expands one’s network, and that these connections can create unexpected opportunities in professional life in the future. He noted that the discipline gained through deep engagement in a particular activity has a direct correlation with success in working life. He also explained that the different perspectives gained through hobbies make it easier to step outside conventional patterns and produce original solutions during times of crisis in business life.At the end of the seminar, which was followed with great interest by the participants, Şerif Pak answered students’ questions and offered advice on choosing hobbies. The program concluded with a presentation introducing the Anatolian Student Union (AÖB) by its President, Seyre Batuk.

Under the leadership of our Secondary Education Commission, we came together with our middle and high school students at the “Getting to Know Artificial Intelligence Camp.” We embarked on a comprehensive technology journey from theory to practice.While the world wakes up every morning to new artificial intelligence news and debates continue around the question, “Will artificial intelligence take our jobs?”, we at Bülbülzade Foundation see this technology not as a threat, but as a great opportunity for our youth. With this vision, under the leadership of our Secondary Education Commission, we gathered with our middle and high school students at GBB Müzeyyen Erkul Science Center for the “Getting to Know Artificial Intelligence Camp.”A TECHNOLOGY JOURNEYOur camp began on Friday evening, January 30, at 7:00 PM, where we discussed the very foundations of this field with our students. Together, we examined the dizzying journey of computer technologies from their black-and-white days to today’s complex algorithms. We addressed, within a theoretical framework, that artificial intelligence is not merely a “box that gives answers,” but explored its working logic, basic functions, and the technical aspects that touch our daily lives.WE DID NOT SETTLE FOR WATCHINGFollowing the theoretical sessions, we sought answers to the question, “So how can we use this?” We demonstrated step by step, through up-to-date tools, how students can increase their productivity, analyze complex problems more quickly, and personalize their learning processes with artificial intelligence. Undoubtedly, the most exciting part of the program was the hands-on practice session. Our youth worked directly with the introduced AI tools, produced their own projects, and had the opportunity to immediately put what they learned into practice.**WE ARE WAITING FOR YOUTHWHO WANT TO BE PART OF THE TRANSFORMATION**As Bülbülzade Foundation, our main goal is to ensure that our youth do not remain merely “consumers” in the digital world, but become “producers” who use technology correctly and ethically. This camp was just a beginning for the youth we are preparing for the digital world of the future. This exciting training series will continue at regular intervals throughout the term. We invite all young people who want to closely follow technology and be part of this transformation.