ISTANBUL — In a major collaborative effort combining the culinary arts with social responsibility, the Tourism Restaurant Investors and Gastronomy Enterprises Association (TURYİD) and Make-A-Wish Turkey (Bir Dilek Tut Derneği) have announced a joint initiative aimed at bringing hope, joy, and healing to children fighting life-threatening illnesses.
The nationwide solidarity campaign, titled "Wish Dish" (Dilek Tabağı), is scheduled to run from October 12 to October 18, 2026. During this week-long event, participating restaurants, cafes, and gastronomy venues across Turkey will offer patrons a unique opportunity to directly contribute to granting the wishes of critically ill children simply by ordering specially designated dishes from their menus.
By leveraging the extensive network of Turkey’s leading restaurant and hospitality brands, the campaign aims to raise vital funds and elevate public awareness of the profound psychological and physiological impact that wish-granting has on young patients undergoing difficult medical treatments.
TURYİD and Make-A-Wish Turkey Partner to Turn the Dreams of Children Battling Life-Threatening Illnesses into Reality
The mechanics of the "Wish Dish" campaign are designed to seamlessly integrate charity into the everyday dining experience. Under the initiative, selected member establishments of TURYİD will choose a signature dish, dessert, beverage, or a specially curated product from their existing menus to be designated as the official "Wish Dish."
When customers visit these venues and order the designated item, a significant portion of the proceeds generated from those sales will be donated directly to Make-A-Wish Turkey. This simple yet highly effective model allows diners to become active contributors to a life-changing cause, turning an ordinary meal into a collective act of philanthropy.
The collaboration has already garnered widespread support from the Turkish gastronomy sector. Organizers revealed that 48 prominent hospitality brands, spanning a total of 226 branches across the country, have officially committed to participating in the campaign. This extensive reach ensures that the initiative will have a highly visible presence in major urban centers and popular dining destinations, making it easy for the public to participate and show their support.
The Power of Hope in Pediatric Recovery
The leadership of both organizations emphasized that the campaign is built on a foundation of medical and psychological research, which shows that a child’s mental state plays a critical role in their physical recovery.
Kaya Demirer, the President of the Board of Directors of TURYİD, highlighted the strong correlation between high morale and positive clinical outcomes in pediatric patients. Speaking on the significance of the campaign, Demirer pointed out that granting a child’s wish is far more than just a temporary distraction; it is a vital therapeutic tool.
"There is an incredible statistic regarding the recovery processes of our children whose wishes are granted," Demirer stated. "Children who hold onto life with high morale, optimism, and hope show a significantly higher rate of success and recovery in overcoming these severe illnesses. This is why our partnership with Make-A-Wish Turkey is so meaningful."
Demirer also detailed how the campaign will be executed on the ground to maximize engagement and ensure success. Participating restaurants will utilize a variety of communication tools to inform guests about the initiative, ensuring that the message of hope is conveyed clearly and warmly.
"The participating businesses will select a ‘Wish Dish’ from their menus," Demirer explained. "They will promote this selection to their guests through dedicated staff training and tabletop communication materials. When guests order that specific dish, they will do so knowing that the proceeds are being directed to this noble cause. This provides them with a deeply fulfilling sense of motivation and positive reinforcement. Ultimately, our singular goal is to increase the hope and resilience of these children."
Scaling Impact Through Corporate Alliances
For Make-A-Wish Turkey, which has been operating in the country for 26 years, strategic corporate partnerships are essential for expanding their reach and fulfilling their mission. The collaboration with TURYİD represents one of the foundation’s most ambitious food-and-beverage campaigns to date, offering unprecedented access to hundreds of dining establishments.
Eda Sevaioğlu Tan, the President of the Board of Directors of Make-A-Wish Turkey (Bir Dilek Tut Derneği), expressed deep gratitude to the gastronomy industry for opening its doors to the cause. She emphasized that the involvement of 48 brands and 226 branches provides the foundation with a powerful platform to scale its operations.
"Corporate partnerships are of paramount importance to us," Tan said. "By partnering with TURYİD, we have opened our doors to hundreds of restaurants, and they, in turn, have extended their full support to us. During the campaign week of October 12–18, anyone who visits these restaurants and chooses the ‘Wish Dish’ will effectively become one of our donors. They will contribute directly to a child’s dream, and they will know they played a personal role in making that wish come true."
Tan outlined the ambitious goals of the campaign, noting that the foundation hopes to secure enough funding to grant the wishes of a significant number of children who are currently waiting for their dreams to be realized.
"Our fundamental objective is to reach more children—to bring joy and hope to more young people and their families who are battling critical illnesses," Tan added. "Our dream is that, following this campaign, we will be able to bring hope to more than 100 children. Furthermore, this initiative is incredibly valuable for raising awareness about our association. As our visibility grows, more families facing these difficult circumstances will learn about us and apply, allowing us to recruit more volunteers and mobilize more donors."
She issued a warm invitation to the Turkish public to support the campaign during its active week, urging citizens to seek out participating venues. "We want to reach more children across Turkey and turn more wishes into reality. To achieve this, we need both individual donors and corporate partners who can execute these projects with us. These corporate initiatives provide a direct, tangible contribution to children’s wishes, which is of immense importance to us. Therefore, we invite everyone to dine at these participating restaurants between October 12 and 18 and become partners in our children’s dreams."
A Urgent Need: Understanding the Scope of Critical Illnesses in Turkey
The critical necessity of campaigns like "Wish Dish" is underscored by sobering statistical data regarding pediatric health in Turkey. According to Make-A-Wish Turkey’s 2024 Prevalence Research Report, the scale of children facing severe health challenges is vast.
The report reveals that in Turkey, approximately 15,246 children between the ages of 3 and 17 are diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions each year. These diagnoses include pediatric cancers, severe cardiac conditions, neurological disorders, and other critical genetic illnesses that require aggressive, prolonged, and often painful medical interventions.
For these children, the daily routine of childhood is replaced by frequent hospitalizations, intensive medical treatments, and isolation from peers. The psychological toll on both the patients and their families can be devastating, often leading to anxiety, depression, and a loss of hope.
By targeting this specific demographic, the "Wish Dish" campaign seeks to intervene at a crucial moment in a child’s treatment journey. The realization of a wish—whether it is meeting a hero, receiving a special gift, or experiencing a dream adventure—serves as a powerful catalyst. It provides the child with a renewed sense of strength, helping them cope with physical pain and giving them something positive to look forward to.
The Gastronomy Sector as a Force for Social Change
The collaboration between TURYİD and Make-A-Wish Turkey also highlights a growing trend within the global and Turkish hospitality sectors: the utilization of business infrastructure to generate meaningful social impact.
As one of the most dynamic sectors of the Turkish economy, the gastronomy industry possesses a unique ability to bring people together. Restaurants are not merely places to consume food; they are social hubs where communities gather, share experiences, and engage in public life. By transforming these spaces into platforms for philanthropy, the "Wish Dish" campaign demonstrates how the private sector can mobilize its customer base to address pressing societal needs.
For participating restaurant brands, the campaign offers an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a tangible, transparent manner. Rather than making static corporate donations, these brands are actively engaging their employees and customers in a shared mission, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.
As the campaign prepares to launch on October 12, both TURYİD and Make-A-Wish Turkey are finalizing preparations, distributing promotional materials, and training restaurant staff to act as ambassadors for the cause. With 226 branches ready to participate, the organizers are optimistic that the Turkish public will respond with generosity, proving that the simple act of sharing a meal can help heal a child’s heart and inspire the strength needed to fight life’s toughest battles.
