When the biggest earthquake in Türkiye’s recent history hit 11 cities including the province of Hatay, the whole world showed its solidarity with the thousands of people affected by it. The basketball community was no exception, with clubs, players, coaches, referees and fans all doing their part to help out.
At a time when the first set of support started to reach the affected families, the Turkish Basketball Solidarity and Education Foundation (BIDEV) quickly started to plan for a long-term solution for the thousands of people that were suddenly left without a home, all while receiving immediate support from Euroleague Basketball, together with its clubs, partners and associations, including ELPA. BIDEV’s “Basketball Village” project seeks to support those who have lost their homes due to the earthquake by installing 100 equipped containers in an area of 11,397 square meters. Inside these containers, there is basic living furniture and the necessary day-to-day utilities, such as a toilet, gas, water and internet. The “Basketball Village” will also accommodate specific social spaces for education, health care and sport, including one basketball court, which should be fully functional and ready for the arrival of the first families during April.
This initiative is taking place in the district of Belen in the province of Hatay, which was one of the most affected areas following the multiple earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria on February 6, 2023. These earthquakes claimed over 50,000 lives and left tens of thousands of people without homes.
ELPA remains an active supporter of the project and encourages everyone to support BIDEV’s “Basketball Village” initiative by making a donation here.
About BIDEV
Basketbol için Destek ve Eğitim Vakfı (BIDEV – Basketball Solidarity and Education Foundation) was established as a non-profit organization in 2020 with the aim of contributing to the development of Turkish basketball players through education and by supporting those who have contributed to basketball in Turkey through social solidarity. Businesspersons, current and former basketball players, trainers, referees, sport administrators and press members are all gathered to achieve this goal. Transparency and sustainability will be the basic principles of our foundation on this path. Our goal is to move forward the valuable works done in Turkish basketball up to now, to an exemplary and sustainable position through support and education.
