UNI's Ege Peksari, Drake's Okay Djamgouz put aside basketball rivalry to help Turkey

Prior to Northern Iowa’s basketball game against Drake on February 1, Ege Peksari heard something familiar, but unexpected in the middle of Iowa.

“Ege, nasılsın,” Drake guard Okay Djamgouz called out.

It was a greeting – ‘how are you’ – in Turkish, Peksari's native tongue.

While rivals on the court, the two basketball players have much in common off it. Peksari came to UNI from the Turkish Basketball League and has represented Turkey on the international level. Djamgouz is a native of Toronto, but his entire family hails from Turkey and Cyprus.

Peksari and Djamgouz are the only two players of Turkish descent in the Missouri Valley Conference and the only international players on their respective rosters.

But now they also share another bond, one founded in the tragedy of the earthquake and aftershocks that have decimated parts of southern Turkey over recent weeks.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake – one of Turkey’s worst natural disasters in history – hit the Hatay province on Feb. 6. The first quake rattled much of southern Turkey, and Peksari said that his family felt the effects in his hometown of Izmir, nearly 1,200 kilometers, or about 745 miles, from the center of the disaster.

Turkey was hit again Monday by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, followed by 90 aftershocks. As of Monday, officials from Turkey and Syria said that the death toll had neared 47,000.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that around 1.6 million people are being housed in temporary shelters. Lutfu Savas, the mayor of Hatay said Sunday that at least 80% of the province’s buildings will need to be rebuilt.

Peksari and Djamgouz both said that no one in their families was hurt in the earthquakes. But that doesn’t mean the two basketball players – along with Drake volleyball’s Zeynep Gur, who is from Istanbul – weren’t drawn to do something, even from an ocean away.

“It was gut-wrenching for me,” Djamgouz said. “I’m Canadian, but I’m really just Turkish, 100%. It’s just really hard because you kind of feel helpless, and then they’re over there struggling and the (death toll) keeps getting bigger.

“It’s a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of tears. But we have to stay strong and do our part and help spread awareness.”

Basketball offers a distraction for both players and the community

Peksari admits that it's been difficult for him to be away from family and friends with everything that has happened over the past two weeks.

He was able to connect with his parents and make sure they were safe in the aftermath of the first earthquake. But he also knows that one of his former coaches lost a parent, and Peksari has struggled to connect with them since finding out.

It's been hard for him, but basketball has provided a small distraction from the devastation.

“I’m focused on basketball because it was kind of keeping me away from the bad news,” Peksari said. “My friends, my teammates, my coaches are really helping me and I’m lucky to have them. But it was really hard for me to act like nothing happened.”

Fortunately for Peksari, he has Djamgouz, who also understands that some things are bigger than sports. Djamgouz reached out to his cross-state rival after the earthquakes, and the two have touched base to make sure their families are alright.

Djamgouz also knows that basketball can be an escape for people in the stands too. He had a contingent of Turkish fans, including two Drake professors, at the Bulldogs’ game against Belmont on Sunday. Djamgouz took time after the game to meet with the group and signed the Turkish flag for one young fan.

“Sports have no barriers or boundaries,” Djamgouz said. “It just heals a lot of things. Them coming and being prideful in somebody of Turkish background, it’s very heartwarming for me to see that I can put a smile on their face, even if it’s for just a couple of hours.”

A helping hand is just the Turkish way

Djamgouz and Gur put together a video to spread awareness, which Drake showed during halftime of the men’s basketball game on Sunday. UNI shared a message in support of Peksari.

In the days after the earthquake, Perksari said his father traveled about 15 hours to Hatay province to help in the search and rescue efforts.

There's a saying in Turkish – dost kara günde belli olur – that translates to “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” Peksari’s father, Gokhan, traveling that distance to help is not uncommon among Turkish people.

“It’s kind of our tradition,” Peksari said. “If there is someone in a bad situation, it’s our tradition to go and help them and do whatever we can.”

That sense of responsibility to help is a bright spot among the destruction in Turkey. But it's also something that Peksari struggles with. He was apologetic when asked what message he would send to the people back home.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more than I’m doing right now,” Peksari said. “I wish I could have done something bigger, or I wish I could have been more useful for them. And I hope that everything is going to be alright.”

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: UNI's Ege Peksari, Drake's Okay Djamgouz spotlight Turkey earthquakes