Erdal Celik, coach of the U12 and U13 teams, together with parents representative Ercan Karabulut, set up a private fundraising campaign. This has also been supported by Reiner Fehl, the parent liaison officer at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre. The call for donations was aimed at families of the Bayer 04 youth players, friends and acquaintances. "We knew from the start that we wanted to help. My family comes from one of the areas affected. Every type of support can be used out there," said Celik.
There was an overwhelming response to the aid programme: "We are grateful for all types of support. The readiness to help is really great within Bayer 04 and there was a massive response for our campaign in general," said the coach with emotion.
With €13,000 plus additional material donations, including winter coats from Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Celik and Karabulut set off for the region in Turkey hit by the catastrophe last Monday 13 March. Over five days, the duo visited affected areas to distribute the donations directly in the regions affected. The route covered several cities including Hatay and Gaziantep. "It's difficult to describe what we saw and experienced. It was emotional and dramatic at the same time but it was important for us to be able to support their families out there," declared Karabulut. "We were able to feel the gratitude from the families out there. But we also know that we can only make a small contribution. Nevertheless, we are proud that we got the campaign going," said Karabulut.
A second trip to Turkey to hand over further donations is planned for the summer.
Background:
The first earthquakes were on 6 February 2023 and they affected the south-east of Turkey and the north of Syria. The natural disaster has claimed 50,000 lives to date and it was one of the most serious earthquake disasters of all time. The fundraising campaign by Celik, Karabulut and Fehl continues and donations can be made at any time via the following email addresses:
Erdal Celik: erdal.celik@bayer04.de
Ercan Karabulut: ercankarabulut1975@gmail.com
The Werkself host Premier League club Arsenal in the Round of 16 first leg in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match at the BayArena is on 10/11 March. Read on for information on ticket sales for this fixture.
Show more
A goalkeeping era is coming to an end for Bayer 04 Women, with Friederike Repohl retiring when her contract expires at the end of the season. The 31-year-old has played for the Werkself since 2021 and also captained the team since last season. The Bielefeld-born keeper already made her decision during the winter break before her injury.
Show more
Job done: the Bayer 04 eSports team defeated SV Darmstadt 98 in the play-offs to secure their consecutive participation in the VBL Club Championship final. The journey continues now for Leverkusen on Saturday 7 March (from 17:00 CET) with a last-16 encounter at Hamburger SV.
Show more
The first international break in 2026 marks the start of the battle to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil for a German and Austrian duo, while a quintet will conclude the U23 international season. A total of eight Leverkusen players will be on international duty with their national teams in the coming days.
Show more
Werkself TV shows highlights of the 0-0 draw against Olympiacos in the second leg of the play-offs of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 league...
Show more
