Türkiye’s Green Crescent Society (Yeşilay) organized a charity event under the theme “One Act of Kindness, A Thousand Hopes” at Sepetçiler Pavilion in Istanbul on Monday, bringing together supporters to promote solidarity and raise awareness about addiction recovery.
The event featured a charity bazaar showcasing handmade products prepared by clients of the Green Crescent Counseling Centers (YEDAM), highlighting the role of creativity, social participation and community support in overcoming addiction.
Yeşilay provides free psychological and social support for people struggling with alcohol, tobacco, substance, internet and gambling addictions through its counseling centers.
The centers offer individual counseling, social support programs and workshops to help clients build lives free from addiction while strengthening their social connections and participation in society.
The charity bazaar provided a platform for clients to showcase their skills and products, demonstrating how productive activities can contribute to the recovery process.
Speaking at the event, Yeşilay President Mehmet Dinç said addiction takes a heavy toll on individuals, affecting their time, resources, relationships, employment and health.
“Addiction takes away many things from a person's life. First, they lose their time and resources, followed by their relationships, jobs and health. We act on the understanding that the greatest act of kindness in this world is to save a person's life,” Dinç said.
He said the counseling centers provide free psychotherapy and social services through a system he described as unparalleled worldwide, adding that they had supported more than 100,000 people to date.
Dinç also warned that the addiction industry was targeting young people through new methods, stressing the need for a more proactive approach.
“We need to act more courageously, more quickly and by taking greater responsibility,” he said.
Noting that some countries had turned to harm reduction measures after falling behind in the fight against addiction, Dinç said Türkiye still had opportunities to expand its efforts and reach more people.
“However, Türkiye is not at that point and is not in a hopeless situation. We believe we can reach more people and change more lives,” he said.
Dinç called for broader public participation in combating addiction, urging attendees to help raise awareness of the society’s work and extend its reach to wider audiences.