How Was That Turkish‑Turan Club in the U.S. Founded? Armenian Influence...

The owner of the account named 'amerikali.tbe', which founded the Turkish and Turan community at one of the world's leading universities in the U.S., Turkish youth T. Baki Efesoy recounted the club’s emergence. The young man said that what he experienced after the February 6 earthquakes that shook Turkey deeply was a turning point for him, and he explained in detail how the process involving Armenians influenced his decision to establish a new organization.

Affected by the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, he took action.

The young man, who said he was from Kahramanmaraş according to his mother, stated that the February 6 earthquakes directly affected him. He said he launched aid efforts for Turkey at his university after the quake, and that on February 7 they organized aid campaigns and sent the collected aid to Turkey with the support of their elders.

Armenians Were Not at Ease

The young man, who felt the collected aid was insufficient, said he posted on the university’s social media accounts to raise greater awareness and gather financial support for Turkey’s earthquake victims. He explained how the Armenian students’ hostile reactions to those posts altered the course of the process.

Armenians Did Not Hear the Earthquake Disaster, 'Do Not Aid Turks' Rumor Spread

Genç said that Armenian students had launched a propaganda campaign claiming that Turks were not receiving assistance. Moreover, the Armenians, not content with that, began circulating speculation that the money raised for earthquake victims would be routed to the Turkish Armed Forces via individuals dubbed 'Grey Wolves', and would be turned into weapons against Kurds and Armenians.

Genç said that the events following those remarks were a critical turning point for him, and that he and a friend had decided to carry out a more organized effort against Armenian organizations.

Two Kayseri youths took action.

The two Kayseri youths, who said they were 18 at the time, launched an initiative to bring together Turkish students at the university and young people from various Turkish communities. Genç said that instead of limiting themselves to students coming from Turkey, they chose to form a broader community that they described as 'Turkic'.

Azerbaijani Turks, Kyrgyz Turks and Turkmens gathered together.

Genç said that the established structure also included students from Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz, Turkmen and other Turkish communities, and that they organized joint events among the different groups. He noted that these efforts had grown the community and that the number of students had increased to about ten times its former size.

They All Together Supported the National Volleyball Players

The community’s activities did not remain limited to university‑based events. Genç explained that they support the athletes by attending matches of the Turkey National Volleyball Team, organize Republic Day events, and carry out scholarship projects.

He Served as Club President Throughout the University

The Turkish youth said he served as president of the community founded from his first year to his final year at university. He noted that organizing separate events for Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz, and Turkmen students helped the community grow and that young people from different Turkish communities gathered under the same roof.

We Showed That the Er Field Is Not Empty

Genç said that after what had happened, they wanted to show that Turkish students could also build a strong social structure in the university environment with the community they had founded. At the end of his remarks, he stated that after all this process, they had shown that the Er field is not empty.

After the February 6 earthquakes, the Turkish community in the United States also carried out aid and solidarity activities in various cities. In Washington D.C., the Turkish-American community had gathered at events organized for earthquake victims in February 2023.