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Türkiye Finans aims to lay claim to the historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling festival which has one of the longest histories of any sports event after the Olympic Games, and to raise the popularity of this ancestor sport.
Türkiye Finans acknowledges the generation of value for the community that it is a member of as one of its fundamental responsibilities. To this end, the Bank has adopted the mission of protecting Turkey’s traditional values while laying claim to the future. Moving forward with awareness and determination to protect Turkey’s cultural heritage and to carry it to the future, Türkiye Finans has carried its leadership in participation banking to other areas as well, and is therefore able to set itself apart in the sector.
The enthusiasm at Kırkpınar spreads across the nation with Türkiye Finans’ support.
By sponsoring the historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling festival held for the 652nd time in 2013, Türkiye Finans aims to lay claim to the historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling festival which has one of the longest histories of any sports event after the Olympic Games, and to raise the popularity of this ancestor sport.
Derya Gürerk, the CEO of Türkiye Finans stated in the press conference held for the Kırkpınar festival, “We support communication for the historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling festival - which is on UNESCO’s Intangible World Cultural Heritage list - and, therefore, play a key role in keeping the festival alive for future generations by telling the stories of the wrestlers who have been making history for centuries.”
Türkiye Finans to sponsor the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Contest for 3 years.
Türkiye Finans has undertaken to sponsor the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Contest for a period of 3 years. The final of the 653rd Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling festival will be held between June 20th-22nd, 2014.
During the military expeditions led by Orhan Gazi to conquer Rumelia (the part of the Ottoman Empire located in Europe), his brother Süleyman Pasha marched with 40 soldiers to Domuzhisar, which was then in the hands of the Byzantines. They raided and conquered Domuzhisar (the Domuz Fortress). After also conquering other fortresses, the group of 40 soldiers who formed the advance guard returned, and came to rest in Samona, in what is now Greece. There, these 40 soldiers began to wrestle. After hours of wrestling, two brothers named Ali and Selim both proved unable to defeat the other. On a Hidrellez day (a festival held on May 6 to celebrate the beginning of the summer), these two brothers started wrestling again in the Ahırköy meadow near Edirne. The wrestling match lasted the entire day, but still neither man could defeat his brother, so the contest continued throughout the night under the light of candles and torches. In the end, however, both brothers succumbed to a shortage of breath and energy and died. At the spot where the two men perished, where there was a fig tree, their friends laid them to rest. Many years later, they came to visit the tree. At that very location where the two brothers were buried, they found a great spring. Following this, the people of the region start calling the area “Kırkpınar” (Forty Springs) and the Kırkpınar wrestling contest has been held as an annual tradition since then. This was at the green pastoral area of the Greek village of Samona. At the end of the Balkan wars and World War I, the Kırkpınar Wrestling Contest started to be held in Virantekke, located between Edirne and Mustafapaşa. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the contests have been held in the Sarayiçi area of Edirne since 1924. Until 1928, agas (landlords) used to organize the Kırkpınar Wrestling Contest; they entertained the guests and handed out awards to the winners. However, due to economic trouble in the country, people were reluctant to volunteer to become agas. Therefore, from 1928, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and the Child Protection Society (Çocuk Esirgeme Kurumu) took over the duties of putting together the wrestling contests. The Edirne Municipality has been organizing the Kırkpınar Wrestling Contest since 1946. |
About the Historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling ContestDialogue in the Dark
Türkiye Finans is one of the sponsors of the "Dialogue in the Dark" exhibition.
“Dialogue in the Dark” exhibition
Türkiye Finans is one of the sponsors of the “Dialogue in the Dark” exhibition, which has attracted more than 7 million visitors from 130 cities throughout the world.
With the project, which allows visitors to experience their daily lives in a completely dark environment without using their eyesight, Türkiye Finans has rebuilt Istanbul’s city life for the visually impaired. Opened on December 20th, 2013, the exhibition offers visitors a unique experience by allowing them to experience city life without using their eyesight over a wide area of 1,500 m2 in the Gayrettepe metro station in Istanbul. Providing visitors with the chance to understand what their daily activities, such as strolling through the park, crossing the street, getting on and off the bus in the dark, the project has aroused a great deal of curiosity in Turkey as in the rest of the world.
Türkiye Finans was among the corporations responsible for the establishment of the traffic and city life areas in the “Dialogue in the Dark” project. During the exhibition, each visitor was blindfolded and given a white walking stick. Within the scope of the project, guidance services were offered to the handicapped. Moreover, special events were held for children and the business world at the exhibition.
Türkiye Finans sponsors the 17th Mediterranean Games in 2013.
The 17th Mediterranean Games were held in Mersin between June 20th-30th, 2013. During the Mediterranean Games, two Türkiye Finans stationery and two mobile branches in Mersin and Adana offered services to all participants to enable them to carry out all of their banking and financial transactions.
Held in the city of Alexandria in 1951 for the first time, the Mediterranean Games are organized every four years. Covering a number of sporting branches, the Mediterranean Games are the most important international sports event after the Olympic Games. Bringing together athletes of the Mediterranean countries, the Mediterranean Games are inspired by the Olympic spirit. A total of 21 countries participated in the 17th Mediterranean Games; Turkey ranked the 2nd place in the Games, winning a total of 128 medals.
Photography Contest
Organized by the Türkiye Finans Photography Club, the contest was attended by a total of 131 people (with 603 photographs in total) from among the employees of Türkiye Finans throughout Turkey.
Türkiye Finans 3rd Photography Contest is concluded.
The 3rd Türkiye Finans Photography Contest was held in 2013 with the participation of Bank employees.
Organized by the Türkiye Finans Photography Club, the contest was attended by a total of 131 people (with 603 photographs in total) from among the employees of Türkiye Finans throughout Turkey.
4 of the photographs that were evaluated by a jury of members, including Mr. Nevzat Çakır - an artistic photographer, and Mr. Murat Gür - the chief editor of the magazine, “PhotoWorld”, succeeded in reaching the finals.
The winner of the contest was Mr. Arif Ünal from the Department of Alternative Delivery Channels and Payment Systems Development Department with his photograph entitled “Magic of the Dark”; he won a prize worth TL 3,000. Mr. Ali Alabaşlı from the Adıyaman Branch won second prize worth TL 2,000 with his photograph entitled “Kite”; and Mr. Murat Toru from the Ankara-Demetevler Branch received the third prize worth TL 1,000 with a photograph entitled “Black Vulture”. Mr. Hüseyin Bahçeci from the Department of Alternative Delivery Channels and Payment Systems Development Department received the Türkiye Finans Special Prize worth TL 1,500 with his photograph entitled “Let the Music Take You”. Each of the 5 employees who participated in the contest received an honorable mention worth TL 500, while the creators of the 34 pieces that were deemed fit for the exhibition received prizes worth TL 100 each.
The top ranking photographs and those which were deemed suitable for exhibition following the technical and composition-based evaluations were exhibited in the foyer area of Türkiye Finans’ Head Office in Kartal.
The Türkiye Finans family runs intercontinentally
Distinguishing itself with its human resources practices, Türkiye Finans attended the 35th Istanbul Marathon on November 17th, 2013. A total of 78 employees of the Bank raced in the intercontinental marathon, which the Türkiye Finans Running Team had long been preparing for.
The Türkiye Finans Running Team attended the Vodafone Istanbul Marathon, the most important international marathon organized in Turkey, for a 3rd time. Five employees from Türkiye Finans raced in the 42.2 km long marathon that brings Asia and Europe together; while 6 employees ran on the 15 km course and 9 employees ran the 10 km course. A further 58 Bank employees attended the public walk.
Türkiye Finans CEO Derya Gürerk issued the following statement: “The Intercontinental Istanbul Marathon is one of the most important sporting events in Turkey. We attended the Istanbul Marathon for the 3rd time this year. Representing our Bank, the Türkiye Finans Running Team members had the opportunity to see how collective sports events can contribute to business life while preparing for this marathon that brings two continents together.”
Supporting young people with Down’s syndrome
The “Mobile Down’s Café” project, which was sponsored by Türkiye Finans in 2013, aims to introduce young handicapped people to the community, to ensure they are employed and to raise awareness of the plight of the disabled. With all of its members being mothers who work voluntarily, the Down’s Café - where 25 children and young people with Down’s syndrome are employed - was established by the Şişli Municipality and the Alternative Life Association (ADER) in 2011.
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