We are calling us 'Bears of Turkey'. We have no relation to any association, organization, commercial establishment or foundation. The "Bears of Turkey" is not a real club. Also, we don't have private offices or meeting places yet. Thanks to this site, we are expressing ourselves. There is a newsgroup for private discussions. We prefer public places when we come together. 

Although we got established in 1997, we only became part of the worldwide bear movement by our first meeting, which was in September 1998. Since that date, we had 14 meetings. All of them took place in Istanbul but one in Ankara including the December 2000 meeting. These meetings are planned once in two months and have been conducted since March 2000 hosting bears and bear lovers / chasers from different cities of Turkey. You can get further information about these meetings by looking at the "History" chapter.

We have friendly relationships to foreign bear groups all over the world. We are the second bear group following Japan as an eastern country and the first in a Muslim country. We became an example to other countries. 

Although we were accepted by foreign groups, we met with difficulties to become a part of Turkish gay groups. According to some,  we have taken the right step into the future. According to others, we weaken the Turkish gay-lesbian movement which is not strong at all by splitting into a new group. Some people love and appreciate us, others respect us. There are people, who think that we are just an imitation of the American bear movement or that all of these is nonsense. For some we are what we are. 

We became a current issue and were discussed in Turkey and other countries because of the oil-wrestling event in Kirkpinar. We were a small gay group living in a world of our own until that event. But the developments made us an activist group. This incident made us an official group, which was known and accepted.

It's a hard to be gay in Turkey and other Muslim countries already. That also applies for the bears in Turkey. We can't do things and events what foreign bears do. Maybe we will never be able to. We cannot guess right now. Our only goals are being together, single-handedly, and make a good place for all of us.

Briefly, WE ARE WHO WE ARE, WE ARE BEARS, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE A PIECE OF BEAR MOVEMENT.