Reporting
Earthquakes in Turkey: an unprecedented wave of solidarity in the country
Audio 02:02
Turkish soldiers prepare aid supplies for earthquake survivors, at the İncirlik military air base, in Adana, on February 14, 2023. AP - Emrah Gurel
Text by: RFI Follow
4 mins
Eleven days after the deadly earthquakes, an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity is reaching Turkey.
Adana, in particular, has become the rear base of many NGOs.
Wednesday evening February 15, during a program broadcast live on television, 6.3 billion euros in donations were collected.
The next day, this colossal sum made the front page of many newspapers.
Advertisement
Read more
With our special correspondents in Adana,
Pierre Olivier and Jad El Khoury
“
Thank you to all the Turks
”, headlined a major national daily on Thursday morning.
It must be said that the emission of the day before was very strongly followed, here.
All the figures are out of the ordinary and beyond comprehension.
The show was broadcast on 200 television channels and 500 radio stations simultaneously.
On the screen, a slew of stars: actresses, singers, footballers who responded to donors live on the phone.
During the first ten minutes of the broadcast, more than 60,000 calls were received!
Volunteers from the World Human Relief association distribute the thousands of donations in boxes which are then transported to the disaster areas.
Adana, Thursday February 16, 2023. © Pierre Olivier / RFI
Regularly, the presenter interrupted the evening to take a live call.
Online, the director of the Turkish Central Bank made the largest donation: 1.6 billion euros.
Throughout the evening, major Turkish companies called to donate funds.
Of course, the Turks were also very generous.
Result: 6.3 billion euros raised in just a few hours.
This sum will be used to build new housing for earthquake survivors who sometimes lost everything in a few minutes.
A colossal amount whose use will nevertheless have to be carefully monitored, confides a young man.
History that this help goes well to the people who really need it.
“We distribute hygiene products, food, diapers”
Everywhere in Turkey, in general, initiatives to help the victims are multiplying.
Relatively spared by the earthquake, the city of Adana has also become the rear base of many NGOs.
Özlem Şimşek is the coordinator of the World Human Relief association.
“
We have teams in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman,
she lists.
Here, we receive donations and then dispatch them to these boxes.
One hundred volunteers work here and locals come to help us.
We distribute hygiene products, food, baby diapers...
"
In Adana, the city's hotels are also helping the victims.
The manager of the Şirin Park Otel confides: “
All the hotels in Adana have decided to open their doors.
Some offer rooms for free, and here we have made our reception rooms available.
Since the earthquake, we have welcomed more than 80 people.
They no longer have a home, that's why we welcome them!
»
The Şirin Park Otel has made the reception room available to survivors who have lost their homes.
About 80 people have been welcomed since the earthquake.
© Pierre Olivier / RFI
Inside the 4-star hotel, mattresses have been laid out on the marble floor.
Hulia Ozgourbac arrived six days ago with her family.
“
They constantly ask us if we need anything, what a welcome!
When another victim arrives, they immediately bring a mattress and sheets.
Hygiene is perfect here
,” she reports.
A surge of solidarity that even goes beyond the borders of Turkey.
Timor Baul is German.
He decided to come and lend a hand.
"
We bring food to the victims and to the children, we do our best,"
he says.
Before, I was a Christian, I converted to Islam.
These are my brothers and sisters here.
I had to help them.
If I was in the same situation, I would appreciate someone coming to help me!
»
So many initiatives that are multiplying across the country, and giving a glimmer of hope to the tens of thousands of disaster victims.
►Also read Earthquake in Turkey: rescue teams give way to diggers
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Turkey
Earthquake
Natural disasters