From Turkey’s Black Sea to a Global Cause
In late 2022, an unlikely champion in the fight against gender-based violence emerged from the Turkish football world. Samsunspor, a storied club founded in 1965 in the Black Sea city of Samsun, launched a bold initiative on November 25, 2022, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. On that day, the club unveiled a special “Mor Forma” (Purple Jersey) campaign aimed at raising awareness about violence against women, a pressing issue in Türkiye and around the globe.
The choice of purple was no coincidence: it’s the color symbolizing the struggle against domestic violence and femicide, a painful crisis that has grown in urgency. In Türkiye, reported incidents of violence against women jumped from roughly 165,000 in 2019 to over 255,000 in 2021, and over 40 percent of Turkish women have faced abuse in their lifetime. Such staggering statistics underscored the need for action. Samsunspor’s response was to use what it knows best: football as a platform for change. By stepping onto the pitch in purple, the club effectively declared that the shout of “No to violence against women” would now echo from the stadium stands, not just remain behind closed doors.
“The shout of ‘No to violence against women’ would now echo from the stadium stands, not just remain behind closed doors.”
A Jersey Worn as a Message
Samsunspor’s purple kit is far more than an alternate jersey; it’s a wearable statement. Emblazoned across the shirt is the phrase “Kadına Şiddete Hayır” (“Say No to Violence Against Women”) boldly printed in 15 different languages. This global mosaic of languages, from Turkish to English and beyond, drives home the universality of the message: violence against women is not just a Turkish issue but a worldwide scourge that must end.
The jerseys were introduced with the tagline “Dünyanın En Ağır Forması,” or “The Heaviest Jersey in the World,” signifying the heavy responsibility society bears in combating this violence. Samsunspor’s players didn’t wear these kits for just a one-off occasion; they incorporated the purple jersey into their 2022/23 season, ensuring the message was seen by fans in stadiums across the country all year long. With the image of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk already proudly featured on the club’s crest, the new purple strip blended tradition with advocacy, reinforcing the idea that honoring heritage also means upholding equality and justice.
Turning Passion into Impact
What began as a symbolic gesture on the field quickly evolved into tangible impact off the field. The Purple Jersey campaign captured public imagination, spurring fans and supporters to take part. Ten thousand limited-edition jerseys were sold, raising approximately 2.4 million Turkish Lira in revenue. True to the club’s promise, 10 percent of that income was pledged to organizations supporting women affected by violence.
“Mor Forma is one of the projects our club is most proud of, and one of the first examples in sports drawing attention to violence against women,” noted Zeycan Rochelle Yıldırım, who spearheads the campaign.
The campaign’s reach didn’t stop at merchandise sales. Social media and digital engagement around the cause skyrocketed, extending the conversation to a global audience. Samsunspor’s cause-driven content helped make it the second-ranked club in Europe for social media engagement in 2023. The club’s online posts related to the Purple Jersey saw tremendous interaction, with an average of about 1.17 million views per day and story posts receiving an astounding 97.8 percent engagement rate. These figures reflect a community rallied around a cause, fans engaging with the club’s message in ways that traditional match results alone could never achieve.
Beyond Awareness: Concrete Actions on the Ground
What truly sets Samsunspor’s Purple Jersey campaign apart is how it moved from awareness to action. The club and its partners translated the campaign’s momentum into a series of real-world initiatives to support women. Under the guidance of the Garip & Zeycan Yıldırım Foundation (GZYV), the family foundation behind the club’s owners, several concrete steps were taken: women in high-risk situations were offered free self-defense classes, partnerships were formed to fund organizations like the Mor Salkım Women’s Solidarity Association and UNFPA, full-time psychologists were hired for women’s shelters and support centers, and aid was delivered to women in earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye.
These initiatives meant that the campaign did not end when the final whistle blew or when the jerseys sold out; instead, it continued in community centers, gyms, and even disaster zones, wherever help was needed. “We wanted to do more for women beyond just our club’s statements,” explains Zeycan Rochelle Yıldırım. “With inspiration from the Purple Jersey, we added gender equality to our foundation’s core mission.”
“We wanted to do more for women beyond just our club’s statements.” — Zeycan Rochelle Yıldırım
Those funds and programs have provided survivors and at-risk women with life-changing support, from learning how to defend themselves to receiving psychological care and gaining skills for financial independence. Studies show that major football events can trigger spikes in domestic violence, with incidents rising by 26 percent when national teams play and up to 38 percent if the team loses. Samsunspor tackled this link head-on, turning a traditionally male-dominated sport into a vehicle to champion women’s rights.
Leadership Driving Change
At the heart of the Purple Jersey campaign is Zeycan Rochelle Yıldırım, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental in its success. She brought a fresh perspective to Samsunspor’s strategy by leveraging the club’s influence for social good.
Under her direction, the foundation not only contributed financially but also expanded its mission to focus on gender equality, a relatively new area for football-affiliated charities in Türkiye. Yıldırım has spoken passionately about the belief that “we must share the responsibility everywhere, in every language, to end violence against women.” This ethos of shared responsibility fueled efforts to promote the campaign internationally. From coordinating with global organizations to engaging Turkish diaspora communities, she helped Samsunspor’s message resonate far beyond its fan base.
Blending Heritage with a Progressive Vision
Samsunspor’s Purple Jersey campaign is a natural extension of the club’s evolution in recent years, as it marries a proud Turkish heritage with modern sports marketing savvy. Founded in 1965, Samsunspor enjoyed domestic success in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a source of pride for its city. After businessman Robert Yüksel Yıldırım took over the club in 2019, making it one of Türkiye’s few privately owned teams, Samsunspor rocketed up the divisions, re-establishing itself among the country’s top contenders.
This resurgence on the pitch has gone hand in hand with a transformation off it. Samsunspor embraced corporatization and prioritized social responsibility as a core value. The result is a club culture that feels both deeply Turkish in identity and global in outlook. The influence of international sports business strategies is evident, from branding and fan engagement to community outreach that mirrors the “sport for good” ethos seen in leading clubs abroad. Samsunspor’s commitment to causes like the Purple Jersey campaign illustrates this blend.
A Pioneer in Türkiye, Inspiring Beyond
The Purple Jersey initiative stands as a pioneering first in Türkiye. Never before has a Turkish club so fully integrated a social cause into its brand and operations. Samsunspor’s bold move has started to shift perceptions of what a football club can represent. The campaign’s success is measured not only in revenue or jerseys sold, but in the conversations sparked and the lives touched.
It has shown that a club outside the traditional Istanbul powerhouses can lead the way in innovation, both competitively and morally. For international readers unfamiliar with Samsunspor, this campaign is an introduction to a club that honors its Turkish roots while confidently breaking new ground. By saying “no to violence against women” and backing it up with concrete support, Samsunspor has set a new benchmark. It invites other clubs, in Turkey and beyond, to imagine how the love of the game can be harnessed for the greater good.
As the campaign enters its fourth year, one thing is clear: Samsunspor has proven that football can be a powerful force for positive change. When a club and its community unite for a cause, the weight of even the world’s heaviest jersey can be lightened, carried together by thousands in solidarity, hope, and the shared belief that violence against women has no place in our stadiums, our homes, or our world.
