Turkey Earthquake: Man Loses Sixteen Members from his Family
Arriving in the province of Gaziantep a few days after two huge earthquakes had devastated southern Türkiye and northern Syria was like entering Ground Zero.
Watching the news coverage had not prepared me for the sheer scale of devastation we witnessed in areas like Nurdağı, where entire neighbourhoods had been reduced to rubble. Among the tents housing some of the survivors, we came across Recep Tuncer. He was helping with relief efforts, despite losing sixteen members of his family, including two young children.
His daughter was scheduled to marry in two months. Preparations were underway, but now they are planning his future son-in-law’s burial. When we handed out blankets and hot meals, Tuncer couldn’t hold back his tears as he thanked everyone for helping his family.
‘May Allah reward you’, he sobbed, ‘We have no home, but in our darkest hour, people from far away are helping us.’
