Istanbul-based global apparel retailer DeFacto will meet the clothing needs of all children under the auspices of the Family and Social Services Ministry in Türkiye’s earthquake zone for one year, in accordance with the protocol signed between the ministry and the firm.

The signing of the protocol was made public in a statement by the company.

Musa Şahin, director of child services, commenting on the signed protocol, said that the works in the region have been carried out intensively since the first day of the earthquakes.

"Like all the institutions of our state, our ministry, with all its resources, has carried out multi-faceted works such as treatment, ensuring safety and identification of our children in 11 provinces that the earthquake affected," he said.

Emphasizing that in this process, both the citizens and all institutions and organizations in the country have been mobilized to help both the children affected by the earthquake and the compensation for the damages caused by the earthquake, Şahin said: "Seeing that every individual and every institution in our country sincerely wants to contribute to the healing of such a great disaster once again showed how important the spirit of solidarity is in this great pain."

"Today, we signed a protocol for our children with DeFacto, who acts with the same sensitivity," he said.

"We are working with all our strength to reduce the trauma experienced by our children," Şahin said.

DeFacto Marketing and Retailing General Manager Ahmet Barış Sönmez, for his part, noted that they have been following the earthquake disaster from the first moment with deep sadness and said, "We were destroyed as a country, but we will hug each other tighter and we will stand up again together."

Sönmez stated that they quickly provided support to the regions in the first stage, and then took action to implement long-term and sustainable projects.

"Unfortunately, the damage caused by the earthquake is quite heavy, and its long-term impact will be heavy. Our state, our citizens, private companies and nongovernmental organizations, we are all working day and night to repair this damage," he said.

Sönmez noted that the most devastating effect of the earthquake was on our children and that the company took action for the children who lost their families and homes due to the earthquake.

"Within the framework of the protocol we signed with the ministry, we will meet all the clothing needs of our children who were taken under protection in the earthquake zone for one year. We all bear the responsibility of rebuilding the region together," he said.

"DeFacto continues to mobilize all its resources to heal the wounds of the citizens in the earthquake area, acting with one heart and instant coordination with the relevant government institutions, nongovernmental organizations and the DeFacto family of 15,000 people, from the first moment of the earthquakes that affected 11 provinces in total, centered in Kahramanmaraş," the company statement also noted.

DeFacto, which delivered 200,000 products consisting of winter clothes such as coats, boots, berets, hats, gloves, cardigans and sweaters to earthquake zones, also directed 100,000 blankets and medical masks to the region under the coordination of the relevant institutions.

It prepared packages of winter clothes for the citizens evacuated from the earthquake zones to other provinces and delivered them from the warehouses and stores in the region to the hotels where the citizens were being hosted, with the coordination of the ministry.

DeFacto, which transported the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) volunteers to the regions with its own buses, as well as 50 volunteer colleagues to support the search and rescue efforts, helped the citizens to evacuate to safe areas under the coordination of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) on the return journey of these buses.

In addition, within the scope of the "Earthquake Solidarity Mobilization" initiated by the Trade Ministry, the supplies ordered by customers in all countries where it operates were sent to earthquake zones free of charge under the coordination of the AFAD.