As we leave behind the blessed month of Ramadan, a season of mercy and abundance, we as the Bülbülzade Foundation family are experiencing the joy of reaching another holiday that strengthens our unity and togetherness.As our foundation bids farewell to the month of Ramadan—when the spirit of sharing and solidarity reaches its peak—we sincerely celebrate the blessed Eid al-Fitr of the entire Islamic world. We wish that these special days bring health, well-being, and happiness to our nation and all humanity. We welcome the joy of Eid, which strengthens the bonds of brotherhood and unites hearts, with the same excitement this year as always.WE INVITE YOU TO OUR EID GATHERINGIn order to breathe in the beautiful atmosphere brought by Eid together and to share the joy of the holiday face to face, we are organizing our traditional Eid gathering. We look forward to welcoming all our volunteers, friends, and fellow citizens to this meaningful meeting, which will be held at our foundation center on the second day of Eid. With the strength we derive from our unity, we continue to multiply the blessings of Eid together.

During this Ramadan, Bülbülzade Foundation became a center of solidarity by touching thousands of hearts through its extensive humanitarian aid efforts and iftar tables established at 21 different locations.We are leaving behind the blessed month of Ramadan, a month of mercy and abundance, by demonstrating unique examples of cooperation and solidarity under the umbrella of Bülbülzade Foundation. Throughout this holy month, with the dedicated efforts of our valued organizations such as Mozaik Women’s Association, Fidan-Der, Hayata Dokun Orphan Association, and Anadolu Student Union, as well as our Education and Teaching Unit, Children’s Activities, Secondary Education, and Aid Units, we established a total of 21 different iftar tables. Within this bridge of goodwill extending from our brothers and sisters in Aleppo, Azaz, and Afrin to earthquake-affected families in Nurdağı and İslahiye, we shared our bread with a total of 4,300 people, including the Bülbülzade Foundation Consultation Iftar.DONATIONS CONTINUENot limiting goodness to iftar tables alone, we reached 600 families and 3,000 individuals through our Aid Store, delivering a total of 31,000 pieces of clothing. While bringing abundance to households with 500 food and hygiene packages, we aimed to deliver the joy of Eid to every household in need. Eid is the most beautiful symbol of love that grows through sharing and our unshakable brotherhood. On this occasion, we would like to remind that Ramadan donations are still ongoing and extend our congratulations on the Eid al-Fitr to our nation, the Islamic world, and all humanity.

As the Semt-i İbrahimli Association, we joined hands with the Tradesmen Commission and strengthened our family ties while elevating the spirit of solidarity to its peak throughout the month of Ramadan.Our association, which is an address of cooperation and spiritual sharing in Gaziantep, bid farewell to the “Sultan of Eleven Months” this year as well with a warm family atmosphere and a rich program. Acting in full collaboration with the Bülbülzade Foundation Tradesmen Commission, we took an active role in every field, from iftar tables to Qur’an recitations, from educational activities to gatherings with orphans.WE ORGANIZED IFTARS IN THE SPIRIT OF COLLECTIVE EFFORTThroughout Ramadan, we organized five separate traditional family iftars. These gatherings, attended extensively by members of our study groups and their families, were prepared entirely through collective effort together with our volunteers. By personally taking part in every stage, from the kitchen to service, we shared the peace and happiness of being one big family. Our teams, reflecting the spirit of solidarity in the most sincere way, hosted orphan families at a special iftar program. With the strong support of the Tradesmen Commission, we built bridges of hearts at this blessed table and experienced the joy of being a family together.WE MET IN THE LIGHT OF THE QUR’ANAs every year, we set out with the motto “We meet in the Qur’an” and organized daily recitations (mukabele) throughout Ramadan. Alongside Qur’an recitations, we enriched the spiritual worlds of our participants through Qur’an readings, religious knowledge sessions, and sincere conversations within our study groups.With the end of Ramadan, we are experiencing the peace of successfully completing this fruitful period, and we continue our efforts with determination to strengthen our family bonds and social fabric.

Operating under the Bülbülzade Foundation, the Hayata Dokun Orphan Association came together with hundreds of orphan families during the iftar programs it organized to share the blessings of the month of Ramadan.Keeping the spirit of solidarity alive throughout Ramadan, the Hayata Dokun Orphan Association successfully completed all four of its planned iftar programs. The third and fourth iftars, the final links of the gatherings hosted by Zade Life Hotel, became the scene of unforgettable moments for orphaned children and their mothers. Participants, who shared the same table not through blood ties but through bonds of the heart, felt the joy of Ramadan and the sense of security that comes from being together.WE WILL ACHIEVE SUCCESS BY TRUSTING ONE ANOTHERSpeaking at the program, Hayata Dokun Orphan Association President Yunus Atilla Hamallar emphasized the importance of unity and togetherness. Stating that they came together with families solely for the sake of Allah, without any blood ties or expectations of personal gain, Hamallar said, “People who believe in each other, trust each other, and lean on one another will always achieve success under all circumstances.” Emphasizing the need to believe in the potential within children, who are the guarantee of the future, Hamallar also expressed his gratitude to his team working in the field and to the benefactors.EMPHASIS ON SELF-CONFIDENCE AND FAMILY FROM MOTHERSThe iftar gatherings were not only tables where meals were shared. Special activities organized by the association’s team for children added to the joy of the meetings. While the traditional shadow play of Hacivat and Karagöz entertained children during the third iftar program, a poem and prayer recited by one of the children during the fourth iftar created emotional moments for the participants. At the end of the evening, mothers who took the microphone expressed the sense of belonging the association had given them. One mother stated that the support of the association gave them great self-confidence, while another said, “I had never thought I had such a big family,” expressing her gratitude to the association team.

The Aid Commission of the Bülbülzade Foundation hosted its volunteers who support its aid activities as part of the traditional iftar program held at Zade Life Hotel.The Aid Commission of the Bülbülzade Foundation brought together all its stakeholders at the loyalty iftar organized to strengthen the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan and the spirit of solidarity. The program, attended by volunteers contributing to the humanitarian aid activities carried out within the foundation, took place in a sincere atmosphere. Delivering the opening speech of the evening, Rabia Aldemir, President of the Mozaik Women’s Association, stated that fasting and charity provide an opportunity for individuals to create distance between themselves and property. Aldemir reminded that avoiding arrogance while helping others and protecting the dignity of those in need are among the most fundamental responsibilities.PROPERTY IS WHAT THE HEART FLOWS TOWARDIn her speech, Rabia Aldemir addressed the philosophical and spiritual dimensions of solidarity and drew attention to the origin of the concept of property, saying: “What we call wealth and property comes from the root of the word inclination. Inclination means the thing toward which the heart flows. As human beings, we have an inclination toward the things our hearts flow to. Our hearts flow toward beautiful and good things.” With these words, she expressed that property is essentially a flow of the heart. Aldemir also noted that this inclination should not turn into passion, pointing out that fasting, prayer, and almsgiving balance this bond and purify the individual.WE MUST AVOID ARROGANCEPointing out that the desire to gain prestige while doing good may reach a dangerous point, Aldemir said, “This feeling creates something very dangerous in those who give: arrogance. This dangerous aspect of worship is mentioned so often in Islamic jurisprudence and in the Qur’an; it is said that the left hand should not know what the right hand gives.” With these words, she emphasized the importance of discretion in genuine charity. Aldemir also stated that they aim to create an environment in the foundation’s charity store where the wealthy and those in need cannot be distinguished, adding that only with such an understanding can humanity truly be served.THE SPIRIT OF SOLIDARITY BECOMES HOPE FOR THE FUTURETurgay Aldemir, President of the Bülbülzade Foundation, stated that the aid activities they have carried out uninterruptedly since 1993 have today turned into a great caravan of goodness. Aldemir emphasized that solidarity activities are not only material support but also build a bond of brotherhood. He noted that the presence of young people coming from different parts of the world to volunteer in the activities in Gaziantep demonstrates the universal character of this movement, and he expressed his gratitude to all the team members who contributed to this process.DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WERE HONORED WITH GIFTSAid Commission Chair Yasemin Aksu and Commission Member Meryem Yılmaz expressed their appreciation in their greeting speeches for the dedication shown by volunteers in the field. Meryem Yılmaz explained that they examined the records of the last three years and identified the names that participated most regularly in the warehouse and store activities. Among the team that prepared 88,862 items for those in need through eight weeks of intensive effort, eight volunteers were presented with plaques of appreciation and gifts.THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE CARAVAN OF GOODNESS TOOK THE STAGEDuring the ceremony, Zeynep Türkoğlu, Hale Eid, Bani Sezgin, Filiz Nacaroğlu, Nursel Kaplan, Hanna İbrahim, Elif Kökmen and Gülten Kaya were among those honored for their outstanding efforts. The program, where guest volunteers coming from different regions such as the United States, France and East Turkestan and serving in the foundation’s charity store also shared their experiences, concluded with commemorative photographs.

Under the leadership of Bülbülzade Foundation President Turgay Aldemir, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin, Consul General in Aleppo Muammer Hakan Cengiz, and Gaziantep provincial directors came together and agreed on a joint strategy for the educational and cultural revival of Syria.We brought together the three pillars of society—public institutions, local governments, and civil society—under the roof of the Bülbülzade Foundation to shape the future of Syria. Hosted by our Foundation President Turgay Aldemir, we gathered with Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin, Consul General in Aleppo Muammer Hakan Cengiz, the Provincial Mufti, the Provincial Director of National Education, and representatives of our public institutions. At this table, we did not merely hold a meeting; we decided to initiate a revival movement guided by education, culture, art, and religion.WE HAVE BEEN IN THE FIELD SINCE DAY ONEAs the Bülbülzade Foundation, we have never changed our stance since the very first day the war broke out in Syria. We did not only deliver humanitarian aid; we crowned our thousand-year-old brotherhood with a vision of civilization on the ground. For more than ten years, we brought together the vast experience we accumulated in every neighborhood, every camp, and every heart with the strength of our state and local administrations at this table.Through the Anatolian Cultural Centers (AKM) we opened in Jarablus, Azaz, Afrin, Al-Bab and Aleppo, we brought generations emerging from war together with the healing power of art and literature. We provided thousands of trainees with language and arts education, vocational training, social support, and educational seminars. Through the Common Future Meetings, where we brought together the intellectual accumulation of Türkiye and Syria, we directly built that great vision of a “Common Future” against the language of hatred.FULL CONSENSUS FOR SYRIAEspecially in Gaziantep and throughout the country, we mobilized all our resources to ensure access to education for our Syrian brothers and sisters, striving to ensure that not a single child remains out of school. In the field, we shaped the practical infrastructure of revival not only with theoretical projects but also with the educational stations we established, the logistical support networks we created, and the direct relationships we built with local communities.We meticulously carried out neighborhood-based rehabilitation efforts and cultural integration programs to repair the social fabric devastated by the war. During the meeting, together with our Consul General in Aleppo and our administrative authorities, we reached full consensus that the educational and cultural infrastructure is indispensable for Syria to stand on its own feet.By combining the strength of public authority with the flexibility of our foundation, which reaches the capillaries of the field, we are initiating a new era that will make the social revival in the region permanent.IT IS TIME TO REWRITE THE FUTUREEmphasizing that revival is only possible through the reconstruction of hearts, our Foundation President Turgay Aldemir stated:“By uniting the social experience of our municipality and the administrative power of the public sector with the field dynamism of our foundation, we will continue this journey beyond the border until justice, compassion, and peace prevail once again. For us, revival is not only about rebuilding buildings, but also about rebuilding minds and hearts. There is no ‘other’ on these lands. We are Moses, and the people of Syria are Aaron. Together we will raise this ancient geography to its feet again. Now is not the time to complain, but the time to rewrite the future with the language of children and brotherhood.”