Playing basketball in Bursa Anatolian High School and Oyak Renault teams, Fahrettin Gözet moved from Bursa to Istanbul for university education after taking the ÖSS exam in 1986. He started his new life in Istanbul by choosing the Paşabahçe Club, which had a professional team at that time, among the clubs that offered a transfer.
In 1989, on the 3rd year as a professional basketball player he had several injuries one after another. He had to take a break from basketball during the treatments. During one of these periods, he began to make plans for the future. He decided to go into business with his classmate Ömer Özkay from University. As many college students do, they dreamed about their future jobs during the conversations that lasted until the morning. Finally, the textile industry, which was popular in Turkey at that time, came to their minds. Upon Ömer’s suggestion, they decided to set up a workshop and produce contract wedding dresses.
In the first months of 1989, they began to look for a suitable place for the workshop. They found an entrance floor in the back streets of Bahariye. They saw that the money in their hands was not enough even for the deposit and rent. Moreover, they had to find the down payment for the machines to be purchased.
One day, while searching for an answer to the question of where to find money in the big canteen at Marmara University’s Ziverbey Campus, Fahrettin thought of a temporary job:
Summer vacation was near. Families would start looking for a place for their children to do sports. Expressing that he got along well with the children and that he would enjoy teaching them basketball, Fahrettin thought that they would be able to raise the necessary capital for the textile workshop. All that remained was to find a gym and make some publicity in the surrounding neighborhoods.
After this speech, Fahrettin, who went away for a tournament, learned that Ömer had found a suitable gym when he returned. The gym of Atatürk Science High School, right next to the university, which they pass by every day on their way to school…
The newly appointed school principal had a positive approach to renting out the hall in the summer. Fahrettin visited the school principal and introduced himself. He talked about his project to teach children basketball. Upon the principle’s permission, he happily left the room. He took his breath next to Ömer, who was waiting in the school canteen.
They immediately took action to get to work. Ömer’s girlfriend left them saying that she had a friend studying art and that she would go and look for him. A short time later he returned with his friend. His design school student friends were going to design a poster for promotion. Fahrettin’s home phone was written as the contact number. They decided to take turns sitting at home and answering the phones. The art student painted a little boy lying on the crucible with the ball in his hand. He wrote the contact number under the banner. When it was time to fill the top of the poster, he asked what the name of the school was. Until then, none of them had thought of a name. A few minutes later, a name called “Future Stars” came to Fahrettin’s mind. Honestly, this name didn’t really fit him. It sounded very cheesy. He suggested using it temporarily and changing the name when they found something better.
The poster was completed with the name written. The first poster, drawn with black felt-tip pen on A3 size white paper, was reproduced in 20 copies in the stationery shop opposite the school. The posters were hand-colored one by one with spirit pens bought from the same shop. Ömer and Fahrettin took these papers and affixed them to the nearby walls. They were distributed to the shops in the neighborhood. They distributed the posters to the grocers, butchers, pharmacists, in short, to all the shopkeepers they knew. Posters were hung in the windows of many shops. For 2 weeks, the phone did not ring even once, despite the fact that they waited on the phone without blinking their eyes and excitedly. With a last hope, they photocopied the poster once again. They colored it and hung it in different places. Meanwhile, primary schools were on summer vacation. After 1 week of waiting, the first phone call finally came: The caller was a mother named Işıl Tümerkan. He had seen the poster on the wall of a primary school in Feneryolu. It has not been long since they moved from their home on the European side to Feneryolu. They were looking for a place to start their 6-year-old son Barış. After a short conversation on the phone, they decided to meet in the garden of Atatürk Science High School at the weekend. After the meeting, the first recording took place.
After the Tümerkan family, 12 more families enrolled their children in basketball courses. In the first summer, a total of 13 students attended the basketball course. Since Ömer had not played basketball before, Fahrettin called his 16-year-old brother Murat from Bursa to help him in training. Murat’s energy made the training go well.
Everything was going well, but Fahrettin and Ömer understood that they would not be able to raise the money they needed for the workshop. They started to think about what to do next.
When the schools opened, Ömer found a part-time assistant teacher job in a private teaching institution. He quit the job saying that basketball school would not be beneficial for two people, and that he should continue the job because he is already a basketball player. 20-year-old Fahrettin, who did not recover from injury and had to quit professional basketball, then rolled up his sleeves to establish a system that would work on weekends as well.
He left the simple , one color flyers in the mailboxes of the apartments. His brother Murat also often came from Bursa on weekends to help him.
Despite all this dedication, the number of students could not exceed 40. Income only covered the rent of the hall. Continuing his life with a small salary from an amateur team and private English lessons, Fahrettin completed the first year with difficulties. Families and teachers in the Feneryolu district were gradually getting used to these young athletes and appreciated their efforts. After a while, they began to tell their surroundings.
By September 1990, the number of students had increased to 60. Fahrettin, who started his master’s degree in linguistics, still viewed basketball school as a temporary job until he got a regular job. Meanwhile, he was applying to the commercial attachés of countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to work abroad. Luckily, he was getting no tangible response from any of them.
Meanwhile, interest in “Future Stars” was increasing. Families were extremely pleased that young people who came from sports were an example to their children. The fame of the “Future Stars” had spread well. After Murat finished high school and came to Istanbul from Bursa, the two brothers, reevaluating the situation, decided with all their strength to develop this job, which they loved so much, and make it permanent.
33 years have passed since then. Tens of thousands of young people who attended the basketball schools and camps of the Future Stars established good friendships and acquired good habits in this family during their childhood and adolescence. Today, thousands of distinguished Future Stars, from those who are a member of parliament in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, to those who are managers in big companies all over the world, from activists in non-governmental organizations to artists, teachers and doctors, are working to make Turkey and the world a better place.
Fahrettin, Murat and their younger brother Osman, who joined them later, continue their work with the same excitement as the first day. Their goal is to establish the “Future Stars Foundation” by 2025 and to contribute to the 22nd anniversary of this foundation with the income of the “Future Stars” activities. It is to establish an institutional system where it can continue its work for children and young people even in the 21st century.
Nazlı Özçelik, one of the young students who participated in the first camp organized by the Future Stars in 1993, the only girl camper of the camp, became the special projects director of the organization she has been keeping with for 28 years, now she comes to the summer camps with her son Umut. Emre Atsür and Engin Atsür, among the first campers, became successful basketball players and played in the NCAA and national teams.
Murat Gözet, one of the founders, is the chairman of the Turkish Camps Association, of which he is one of the founders, and strives for the development of the sector.
In 2008, Fahrettin Gözet was elected to the board of directors of the International Camping Fellowship- ICF, the meeting point of the world’s out-of-school education and camping industry- headquartered in Canada. In October 2020, he was elected as the President of ICF; Until the end of 2023, he will serve as the president of ICF, where 110 countries are represented.
Summary:
“Future Stars” was founded in 1989 by Fahrettin Gözet. A short time later, his brother Murat joined him.
Ömer Özkay, who worked wholeheartedly in the first days of the establishment, is still the owner of a consultancy company operating in Istanbul on English language learning.
Barış Tümerkan, the first student of Future Stars, studied mathematics in Canada after Üsküdar American College. Returning to Turkey, he worked as an assistant at Koç University and completed his master’s degree in mathematics. He currently produces computer software as the owner of his own business.
Işıl Tümerkan, the first parents of Future Stars, is now enjoying retirement after serving as a manager at Şişe Cam Holding and her husband Kemal Tümerkan at Unilever. Kemal Tümerkan writes philosophical books and gives conferences. Tumerkans are among the most valuable friends of the Gözet family and will remain so as long as they live.
Abdurrahim Köksal, who made the Stars of the Future come to life by allowing them to use the gym of the school he was the principal, served as the Çorum and Balıkesir Provincial Director of National Education. He still works as an administrator at the Ministry of National Education.
Dedicating his heart and all his energy to the Stars of the Future since the age of 16, Murat Gözet is the “general director” managing all the operations of the organization and the chairman of the Turkish Camps Association.
Osman Gözet, who was a fourth-year primary school student when Future Stars was founded, completed his successful basketball career and education in the USA with a basketball scholarship he received from the NCAA league and a small amount of financial support from the Future Stars programs. He completed a double major and completed his education in the honor list. He worked in camps every summer until he finished his education. He started working at Mercedes Benz Türk on his return home. After 6 years, he joined the management team of Future Stars.
Nazlı Özçelik, one of the young students who participated in the first camp organized by the Future Stars in 1993, the only girl camper of the camp, became the special projects director of the organization she has been keeping with for 29 years, now she comes to the summer camps with her son Umut. Emre Atsür and Engin Atsür, among the first campers, became successful basketball players and played in the NCAA and national teams.
In 2008, Fahrettin Gözet was elected to the board of directors of the International Camping Fellowship- ICF, the meeting point of the world’s out-of-school education and camping industry- headquartered in Canada. In October 2020, he was elected as the President of ICF; in 2023 he was re-elected for the second term and will serve as the president of ICF, where 110 countries are represented until November 2026.
