GEA -Mother Earth- is a Search and Rescue, Ecology and Assistance Campaigns Group that was founded in 1994.

GEA carries out voluntary activities in order to rescue and protect all living creatures in all National and International disasters that threaten life.

GEA is formed of volunteers acting with citizenship consciousness   

GEA is not an abbreviation. It is the “Mother Earth” which is the source of life and fertility in all mythologies.

• To help people in need without distinction of religion, language, sex, race or social status

• To turn the individual's energy into a socially constructive energy

• To combine the concepts of Volunteerism, Citizenship and Voluntary Work with physical activities

• To realize the capacities of the individual in order to provide integration with nature

• To organize activities in order to protect the earth knowing that human is a part of nature

• To improve preparedness against natural and environmental disasters

How was GEA founded?

We, as the members of Yeni Yuksektepe Cultural Organization that carries out studies on philosophy and psychology; formed GEA in 1994 in order to carry out search-rescue-ecology-assistance activities emphasizing that philosophy is a combination of virtues and practical values that are applied to life.

We claim that the capacities and the virtues of the individual can be applied to life and be beneficial to the society. In the meantime, the individual realizes and extends his/her potentials. We call this ACTIVE PHILOPSOPHY.

GEA team attended a two-week training on Forest Fires, organized by Italian Civil Defence in Italy , L'Aquila in 1994. We gained an international perspective realizing the efficiency of European Non-Governmental Organizations in voluntary activities.

GEA team made a protocol with Civil Defence General Directorate in 1999 and arranged its standards according to the INSARAG standards of the United Nations at the end of 1999. GEA team has attended trainings organized by Civil Defence General Directorate since 1999. GEA team went to Japan twice for 2,5-month trainings on technical search and rescue and had 6 simulation camps with British RAPID UK Team.

Until 2003, GEA cooperated with British Civil Defence, Japanese Civil Defence, German Civil Defence and El Salvador Army and received invitations from Thailand , Indonesia , Austria , France , Spain , Greece and Mexico , and trained several NGOs.

Since 2000, Gea has trained several organizations and institutions about Preparedness and Protection against Earthquakes and Emergency Management.

GEA has made emergency cooperation and communication protocols with Civil Defence teams and NGOs in 22 countries that are under the risk of disasters, in order to receive information about the region and to start search and rescue activities immediately.

GEA has well found search and rescue teams in Istanbul , Izmir , Adana , and Van, and has light rescue teams in Ankara , Antalya , Bursa , and Izmit.