Kocaelispor reminded of the earthquake in its 25th year

On the 25th anniversary of the Marmara Earthquake, the 1st League team Kocaeli organized a sports commemoration and awareness event. The club’s president Recep Durul, who brought together the players, technical team and management of the earthquake period in an exhibition match, said, “Participating in the league at that time was a decision to bring hope to earthquake victims and to return to life again.”

The Trendyol 1st League team Kocaelispor organized an awareness and commemoration event on the 25th anniversary of the Gölcük earthquake on August 17, 1999. The commemoration event was attended by the state minister at the time of the earthquake Hasan Gemici, Kocaeli MP Veysal Tipioğlu, former MPs Hikmet Erenkaya, Kemal Köse, Turhan İmamoğlu, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, İzmit Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and Kocaelispor Club President Sefa Sirmen at the time of the earthquake, former presidents of the club, Kocaelispor Technical Director Ertuğrul Sağlam, one of the team players Appindangoye, football players who played in the 1999-2000 season, technical team and managers, the club president of the Greek Skoda Xanthi team that supported Kocaelispor with a friendly match during the earthquake, Aris Pialoglou and managers, coaches, prominent names in the sports community, many Kocaelispor fans and citizens. Kocaelispor fans, who came together on the same field again after a long time, experienced emotional moments.

There were sad and proud moments

In the event held at the Doğu Kışla Sports Facilities, first the exhibition of photographs and newspaper clippings from the earthquake period was visited. Then prayers were said for the citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake and for Kocaelispor to become champions in the new season. Earthquake scarves were distributed to those who came to the organization in memory of the day. Simultaneously, a video that brought emotional moments to the participants was watched. Following the protocol’s expression of their feelings about the earthquake and Kocaelispor, plaques were given as a memory and as a thank you on behalf of the city, then the football players who contributed to the psychological recovery of the city by not withdrawing from the league during the earthquake played a 17-minute and 8-second match. In the finale of the program, a moment of silence was observed for the earthquake martyrs and memorial books were signed.

Recep Durul: “The decision to join the league was a ray of hope for earthquake victims”

The first person to come to the podium during the protocol speeches section of the commemoration and awareness program was the host club president, Recep Durul. Durul said, “25 years ago today, we were shaken by a great earthquake that tore our hearts out. This painful event deeply wounded not only Kocaeli, but our entire nation. On this occasion, we wish God’s mercy upon all our citizens who lost their lives in those dark days and offer our condolences to their grieving families. Their memories will continue to live in our hearts forever. The decision Kocaelispor made at that time reminded us once again that football is not just a sport, but a social responsibility. The decision to take the field to boost the morale of the earthquake victims and offer them a glimmer of hope may have seemed like an ordinary step at the time. However, today we better understand how deep its meaning is. I would like to express my gratitude to our football players, technical staff, board of directors and especially the club president at the time, Sefa Sirmen, who became a source of morale and hope for our people with the decision they made that day. This noble behavior they displayed continues to be a guide and a light for us not only at that time, but also today. And today, we shout once more from here: live, prosper, Kocaelispor, it’s a good thing you exist, it’s a good thing we exist, it’s a good thing we are Kocaelispor fans.”

Aris Pialoglou: “Thank you for not forgetting us”

Aris Pialoglou, the president of the Skoda Xanthi club in Greece at the time, who wanted to support Kocaelispor during the earthquake by playing a friendly match, said, “I wish Kocaelispor endless success. We have been friends for 25 years. You did not forget us, you invited us, thank you very much. Hopefully, this friendship will continue forever, I offer my respects and love to the entire Kocaelispor family.”

Hasan Gemici: “Kocaeli University and Kocaelispor were two very important decisions”

Hasan Gemici, who was a government minister during the earthquake, said, “The August 17 earthquake was one of the biggest disasters our country and the world had ever seen. We had huge material and physical losses. But the real destruction was the destruction of people’s dreams and hopes for the future. At that time, we tried to heal our wounds with state-nation cooperation, public officials, mayors, civil society organizations and volunteers in great solidarity. Later, dramas that could be the subject of movies and novels, great sacrifices were experienced. Very important decisions were made in our region. One of these; at that time, Kocaeli University’s facilities and buildings were destroyed. It was said that education should be suspended. Our Rector Baki Komsuoğlu strongly opposed it. Kocaeli University continued education in the barracks with his astute management. He gave life to Kocaeli. The second big important event was what Kocaelispor did. After the disaster, the state made a decision and granted Kocaelispor the right to withdraw from the league. But Kocaelispor did not accept and continued to stay in the league. With its successes in football, it brought hope and excitement to the people of Kocaeli. I believe that Kocaelispor will have a very successful season in the league this year. God willing, we will see Kocaelispor in the Super League next year. If Kocaelispor goes to the championship, I will come to the last match no matter where it is in Turkey,” he said.

Sefa Sirmen: “Hopefully we will be the champions this season and get to the place we deserve”

Former Kocaelispor president Sefa Sirmen said, “We really went through the earthquake of the century 25 years ago in great pain. At that time, I was responsible as both the metropolitan mayor and the president of Kocaelispor. My football brothers, with whom we shared the same fate that day, came here today. They wanted to remember, commemorate these pains and be with us. They did not leave us alone in those days either. We continued our work in the league without a break and achieved great successes. I thank you very much. I would like to thank the Kocaelispor President and management, who organized this beautiful ceremony today, and the Metropolitan Municipality Mayor as well. It is very important to get Kocaelispor back on its feet and bring it back to its old days. We won the first two matches this season. Hopefully, we will not lose again from now on. We will be the champions this year by a wide margin and go to the Super League, where we deserve to be.”

Veysal Tipioğlu: “Let that year be this year, let the end of the road be the championship”

AK Party Kocaeli Deputy Veysal Tipioğlu also said, “The anniversary of the earthquake, which was a very painful day in our country’s history. Such a 45 seconds that thousands of our citizens were trapped under the rubble in Kocaeli. The dear Turkish nation showed unity and solidarity in a very short time and managed to heal all the pain. However, our spiritual pains and the pain of our losses hurt the depths of our hearts. However, we have to take new measures based on the fact that it is not the earthquake that kills, but the building. At that time, Kocaelispor did not withdraw from the league despite this disaster and stayed on the field and fought to give some morale to the people of Kocaeli. I congratulate the chairman, management, technical team and football players who made this decision at that time. We got goosebumps while watching the video. I want to open a parenthesis; this is the year, God willing. May the end of the road be the championship.”

Tahir Büyükakın, “It’s a good thing this city has a team”

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın said, “We came together to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the earthquake. I would like to thank each and every one of our football players, technical staff, and coach who did not leave Kocaeli alone during the days of destruction, when everyone was in low morale, who did not withdraw from the league, who worked hard and sweated with great sacrifices to raise the morale of the people of Kocaeli. I would also like to applaud my dear brother Mehmet (Açık); he brought this whole team together. I saw this; the team of the city is a source of happiness for the city both in good days and in difficult days. That is why this organization has a special meaning. I would like to thank all the presidents, technical staff, football players and fans who have worked for this city’s team since that day. It is a good thing they exist. It is a good thing this city has a team. Hopefully, we will achieve success this season as well. That year is this year. Every year from now on. We trust our coach and football players, our management, our president and our fans. We also remember with mercy and gratitude those we lost in the earthquake. We commemorate,” he said.

The awareness match lasted 17 minutes and 8 seconds

In the awareness match officiated by Nihat Samuk, one of the former referees of the Kocaeli region who officiated in the Super League; Metin Mert, Mirkoviç, Mert Korkmaz, Kaan Dobra, Cem Sinan Vergül, Toprak Kırtoğlu, Tarık Daşgün, Engin Öztonga, Özden Öngün, Orhan Ak, Cihan Haspolatlı, Ali Mumcu, Murat Çolak, Bülent Bilgen, Evren Turhan, Soner Boz, Nuri Çolak, Murat Çolak, Ergin Altay and Murat Şahin from the 1999-2000 season squad, along with Kocaelispor Club President Recep Durul and Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, wore the uniform. In the 17 minutes and 8 seconds match between the two teams as the Green and the Black, beautiful goals, man reductions, stylish dribbling and good defense were applauded by the stands. In the match in which Mert Korkmaz scored 2 goals, Engin and Evren scored 1 goal each, the green team won the match 3-2. The technical staff of the 1999-2000 season, Güven Kurtar, Erhan Altın and Orhan Lane, who attended the commemoration and awareness event, noted that they trained very good footballers in that period. – KOCAELİ