Fenerbahçe captain Eda Erdem nominated for US 'International Women of Courage' award

US Consul General in Istanbul Julie A. Eadeh hosted a reception at the US Consulate General in Istanbul residence, attended by US Ambassador to Turkey Jeffry L. Flake, Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, Fenerbahçe Board Member in Charge of Volleyball Simla Türker Bayazıt, successful athlete Eda Erdem Dündar, and other guests.

While Eda Erdem Dündar was presented with a plaque for her nomination, Jeffry L. Flake stated that Eda Erdem Dündar is a very important figure in the empowerment of women.

Stating that he believes Eda Erdem Dündar deserves this award after seeing her achievements and her work on women's empowerment, Jeffry L. Flake said, "At the same time, she is the captain of the best volleyball team in the world. Being in such a position is not easy. Captain Eda Erdem makes time for young women and shows them that they can achieve anything. For us, she was an extremely natural candidate for this award."

Expressing that they follow many sports competitions in Turkey, Flake said:

"We have been to football matches, we have been to volleyball matches. We even went to a volleyball match in Antalya last year, and the arena was packed. I think it was the most exciting match we have watched recently. It is a great pleasure for me to be in a country like Turkey that takes sports seriously and loves them sincerely. My youth was also spent with sports. I played American football, I was on track teams. My wife played basketball on her school team. That is why being in Turkey is a great joy for us."

US Consul General in Istanbul Julie A. Eadeh, who hosted the reception, emphasized that she was hosting distinguished guests and stated, "It is a pleasure for me to host these beautiful guests at the Consulate General residence. The US Department of State presents an award called 'International Women of Courage' every year. Women who have achieved success in the empowerment of women, human rights, and different disciplines are nominated for this award. For this reason, we nominated Captain Eda Erdem for this award."

Underlining that she is also a fan, Eadeh commented, "Sports is an important pursuit that teaches discipline, determination, and teamwork, especially to young people. I observe with pleasure how important sports are in Istanbul, and I enjoy going to sports competitions."

EDA: "I AM LIVING A CAREER AND A LIFE I COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED"

Thanking everyone for the reception, Eda Erdem Dündar expressed her pride in being nominated for such an important award.

Emphasizing that being nominated for such an award is very valuable, Eda Erdem Dündar said, "It is very important that my name is mentioned among such strong, important, and successful women. This nomination also adds a lot of responsibility to my shoulders, but I am aware of this. We are trying to be the best role models for the new generation."

"I always say, we are a colorful team made up of very different characters. But when it comes to a goal, we are a team that can become one, that can become 'us'. I am achieving very beautiful things together with my teammates. My teammates also have a huge contribution to my nomination for this award. I thank them very much as well. I can say that it was another unforgettable evening in my life." she said.

Noting that she never even imagined what she has experienced to date, Eda Erdem Dündar continued:

"I could never have imagined going back to the past and seeing myself as I am today. But I never stopped dreaming. The erection of my statue had been a topic for years, and it is an incredible feeling for me that it has come true. Every day when I pass by it, I say, 'Is this real?' Of course, I could not have imagined these, but I am very lucky."

"Seeing such value while my career is still ongoing, and being able to have this, is priceless for me. I am very happy and proud. I would like to thank our club and our beautiful fans once again from here. I could not have imagined it, but I am currently living a career and a life I could not have imagined."

Speaking about how she would feel if a film or documentary were made about her in the future following the erection of her statue, the national athlete said:

"Believe me, I don't know. My career is currently ongoing. Whether it will be done, whether it will be wanted to be done, I honestly don't know. Of course, even the possibility of such a thing excites me. My career is ongoing. I want to serve my team as long as my body allows. I want to play volleyball in the near future. Afterwards, we will all see what happens and what opportunities come my way."

Emphasizing that she has not yet taken a photo with her statue, which she sees every day while passing by, Eda Erdem Dündar said:

"Except for the first day, I haven't taken a photo in front of the statue. But when I see people while passing by, I say, 'Should I surprise these people?' One day when the weather is nice, I want to pull my car over there and take a selfie myself, surprising the people; that is on my mind."

Fenerbahçe Board Member in Charge of Volleyball Simla Türker Bayazıt also expressed that they are very proud on behalf of the national athlete.

Reminding that they held the unveiling of Eda Erdem Dündar's statue, Bayazıt said, "Today, we are all here together for an international award ceremony. We are very proud. Eda is a very important female figure for Turkish sports and the international arena. We are proud of her. We think that such awards will continue. I am aware that she will inspire young girls and all women. There are few statues of female athletes in our history. It is a special value that we, as Fenerbahçe, did this. Captain Eda deserves these, she deserves everything. She is a very important name with her stance and athletic personality. This is an indescribable feeling." she said.