Tension over sapling donation between TEMA Foundation and OKX TR

A debate over tree donations took place on social media between the crypto exchange OKX TR and Turkey's long-established environmental organization TEMA Foundation. In a post dated July 4, 2025, OKX TR announced that it donated 10,000 saplings through TEMA Foundation. However, TEMA stated that this post was made without its information and approvals, and warned that they would initiate legal proceedings if the content was not removed.

THEME: "No official process has been carried out"

The TEMA Foundation emphasized in a statement made on August 5 that no corporate donation process has been conducted with OKX TR before or after the mentioned share. The statement said, "Despite all warnings, the failure to remove the content poses a risk of misleading the public and is not in line with our principles of transparency and trust." The Foundation announced that they would resort to legal means if the content is not removed within three business days.

OKX TR: "We started with good intentions, the process got stuck on legal obstacles"

The OKX TR front made a detailed statement regarding the developments. The company reported that the idea of donating seedlings emerged in line with suggestions from the community following the forest fires in İzmir, that they contacted TEMA on July 8, and that their intention to donate was officially announced on July 17.

In the response sent by TEMA, it was stated that establishing a Memorial Forest in Izmir is not possible under the Forest Law, and that other provinces could be considered. In response, OKX TR stated that they have directed the donation process to the Future Breath platform under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and that they carry out the relevant transactions through this channel.

The company stated that it sent a denial text to TEMA on July 28 and conveyed the contents to be made public. OKX TR described the public statement made without any feedback as "regrettable" and emphasized that the entire process was carried out in good faith, with the aim of contributing to nature.

A similar PR crisis: Binance's earthquake relief efforts

Foreign crypto exchanges operating in the Turkish market have faced such communication crises before. As a reminder, the crypto exchange Binance announced that it would provide $100 worth of BNB token assistance to users in 10 provinces affected by the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in 2023. The company stated that it automatically identified users whose identity and address verification were completed and provided support totaling approximately $5 million. However, many users on social media criticized the situation, stating that they could not access these aids.

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