Eda Erdem has park named after her in Istanbul

The legendary captain of Fenerbahçe Medicana as well as of the Turkish women’s national team, middle blocker Eda Erdem, now has a park named after her in Ataşehir. The large park covering an area of 4,902 square metres does now include a volleyball court whose flooring features a picture of Eda herself.

The opening ceremony of the park hosted by Ataşehir Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel was attended by Fenerbahçe SK President Ali Y. Koç, head coach Marco Fenoglio, the President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, national team head coach Daniele Santarelli and many fans. 

“It is an indescribable source of pride for me to have this park named after me in the Ataşehir district, where I have lived for 16 years, witnessed its transformation and development, and have been a part of. Parks are important meeting points where young people and children prepare for their future by doing sports, and where neighbours can socialise. I hope this park will fulfil this role for Ataşehir, especially for our youth and volleyball fans, and will best reflect the unifying power of sports. When members of the younger generations come together here, they will learn to be a team and fight for common goals. They will embrace their teammates by choosing unity and togetherness, not division. We shall instil the love of sports in the new generations, this love will teach lessons that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. This new generation will carry our country to a brighter future with the motivation they have gained. I would like to thank everyone here today, especially those who brought this project to life and contributed to it, for the value you have given and the gratitude you have shown. I hope that our park will be beneficial to Ataşehir and Istanbul and that everyone will have beautiful memories here,” Eda said.

Ataşehir Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel said: “This ceremony will go down in history for our Ataşehir community. We are opening a park named after our dear Eda Erdem, the captain of the national team as well as of the women’s team of Fenerbahçe Medicana, the pride of Türkiye. Another point that makes this ceremony especially meaningful is that Eda Erdem lives in Ataşehir. Eda Erdem is not only a successful athlete, but also a leader who has made our country proud on many occasions with her diligence, which is an example to all young people. Today, with the inspiration they receive from Eda, we are presenting this park to all the young people of Ataşehir who do and love sports. Our young girls want more volleyball courts from us. I would like to thank our athletes who contributed to the realisation of this wish, our clubs that invest in Volleyball such as Fenerbahçe, Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç and TVF President Akif Üstündağ. Türkiye is becoming a brand in Volleyball and our youth is looking for open-air and indoor courts where they can play Volleyball. 

“Eda’s fighting spirit will always be a feature of this park. Our youth will make their dreams come true here. This is the greatest happiness for us. As Ataşehir Municipality, we want to be a part of the dreams cultivated by our youth. Let more children and young people do sports, be interested in art, but most importantly, let them express themselves freely and dream. I hope that Eda’s determination and perseverance will be an inspiration to every young person who does sports. Young people, this park is yours. You will not only do sports here, but you will write your own success stories, overcome difficulties like Eda Erdem and achieve great victories. I believe in you very much. My dear captain, we are honoured to give your name to this park. I would like to express my great gratitude for being such a role model for our youth, encouraging our young girls, being an example and representing our country so successfully, and raising our flag high many times.” 

President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation Mehmet Akif Üstündağ added: “I am proud and happy to be with you on this beautiful, meaningful day. The fact that this park was named after our child, our pride, Eda Erdem, who did everything for her country, working hard day and night, leading Turkish Volleyball to reach unprecedented heights for many years, makes us extremely happy and proud. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this project.” 

Daniele Santarelli, head coach of the Turkish women’s national team: “It is a great pleasure for me to be in Türkiye. This may be a small gift for Eda, but it is a major gift for all the girls living in Türkiye, for all the young people who are devoted to sports. Eda is a very good professional, a very good player and captain, a real role model for any aspiring professional player.” 

After the speeches, the park was opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony and gifts were presented. The ceremony ended with a photo shoot and a tour of the park, with Eda making herself available to students and youngsters alike for selfies and other pictures. 

Pictures courtesy of Fenerbahçe SK