A fundraising campaign organized by eight national TV stations and various Turkish celebrities has raised approximately $6.1 billion to assist victims of the recent earthquake.
Many Turkish television and radio stations started the relief effort, known as Turkey One Heart, in reaction to the catastrophe. Millions of people from Turkey and other nations took part in the massive fundraising effort to aid tens of thousands of earthquake survivors, including children, adults, corporations, religious organizations, private organizations, and labor unions.
The fundraiser lasted for seven hours and was hosted by well-known Turkish TV personalities such as Nihat Hatipoglu, Pelin Cift, former model Çağla Şikel, media tycoon Acun Ilcal, and others, according to Daily Sabah.
Also, as part of the fundraising campaign, telecom providers in the nation sent out over 9 million SMS. Many people, including children, soldiers, diplomats, and CEOs of significant corporations, gave gifts to the Turkish Red Crescent and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in Turkey.
Several famous personalities, including Love For Rent actor Barış Arduç, TV presenter Esra Erol, and Warrior star Berk Oktay, answered phone calls for donations on stage during the event. The campaign also featured the participation of many other well-known celebrities, such as Burak Özçivit, Hande Erçel, Engin Akyürek, Afra Saraçoğlu, Burak Deniz, Alp Navruz, Aslı Enver, Merve Dizdar, Barış Falay, Selahattin Paşalı, Özge Özpirinçci, Uğur Güneş, Murat Yıldırım, Mehmet Özgür, Birkan Sokullu, Eda Ece, Melisa Aslı Pamuk, Ismail Hacıoğlu, Kadir Doğulu and his wife Neslihan Atagül Doğulu, Seda Sayan, Hasan Can Kaya, Aras Bulut Iynemli, Ezgi Mola, and Halit Ergenç.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined a call during the live broadcast and expressed optimism that the campaign will garner a remarkable sum of money from the public, showcasing their kindness. He made it clear that all campaign profits will go towards aiding the earthquake victims. “Our aim is to develop safe and tranquil living spaces for our people within a year of every building being dismantled. I have faith that we can overcome this obstacle together “He announced.