Members of the Turkish community in Edinburgh have banded together to gather essential items after the country was hit by Monday's devastating earthquake.
Many Turks living in the capital have been left shocked and devastated as the death toll from the natural disaster approaches 20,000.
However, a sense of togetherness and unity can be found in an unassuming Leith Walk hub, where thousands of items of clothing and essentials have been collected and processed.
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Edinburgh Live took a trip inside the base of the newly formed Turkey Earthquake Appeal, a group of Turkish people living in Scotland who have rapidly responded to help their friends and families at home.
A deafening noise of bustle and activity pours from the door of the group’s base, a sense of co-ordinated chaos as the urgency of the situation hits home.
Within minutes, stories of family members lost and cities destroyed begin to fill the air. The focused frenzy seemingly slows as grief grips the volunteers dedicating their time to their country.
Sahin Firat, the President of the Turkish-Scottish Chamber of Commerce, said he lost more than 100 members of his family in the disaster, which devasted his hometown.
He told Edinburgh Live : “I would like to say thanks to everyone in this organisation, and everyone from around Scotland, who is caring for us. Since Monday, we’ve created points like this in Edinburgh and other cities. Our phone is non-stop.
“This happened in my city. My family’s there. I lost more than a 100 people from my family – my cousins, aunties, uncles, nephews. Since Monday, I go to my bed and feel guilty. They’re outside, they don’t have a bed or a jacket. They have nothing. They’re hungry. In my city, there’s more than 20,000 people dead. There’s cities completely demolished.”
While there is still hope that some survivors may be found, hope is beginning to fade in south-east Turkey, where the 7.8 magnitiude earthquake left a trial of disaster, including in neighbouring northern Syria.
Nurzen Oztop has started volunteering while she is visiting her daughter, who studies in Edinburgh. She explained her biggest concern lies with young children who have been left orphaned by the disaster.
She said: “There hasn’t been an earthquake like this in Turkey since 1999. I have experienced earthquakes regularly, but small ones. It’s an earthquake country and the government were not prepared. They didn’t deploy the army quickly enough.
“It’s so horrible for everyone, but there’s young children, babies, that are now orphans. They’ve been left with no family at all. Some don’t even know their own names. That’s the worst part.”
In the name of helping those people who have been left with nothing, the volunteers in Leith have been working tirelessly. Student Dennis Kiymet described his desperation to support his fellow natives, saying he has been working in the base for two days straight without any sleep.
He said: “At first, I was in disbelief of what was happening. I was eager to do anything I could in my power, but being in a different country made that hard. The second I heard the news of this happening, I just ran down here. I haven’t slept for two days, I’ve just been working constantly.”
“I just want people to be okay. Us Turkish people pull together in tough times. Hopefully we can ship it as soon as possible. People are freezing in the earthquake area, it’s -2 degrees. They don’t have a home, they don’t have tents.”
Turkey Earthquake Appeal now say they have a healthy stock of clothes, but other essentials are still urgently needed. Items such as tents, blankets, heaters and nappies have been highlighted by the group, as well as sanitary pads, bottled water and baby food.
Drop-off points have sprung up around the capital as Edinburgh residents look to play their part in the crisis. One business that has opened their door to donations is Turkish-run café La’Telve in Morningside, receiving sympathy and supplies in abundance from concerned customers.
One worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Our customers have just been coming in and saying how sorry they are, the response has been so big. They ask us about the news and any developments. There’s been lots of material donations, an amazing amount, but it’s financial donations we’ll take now to help people.
“The first shift after the earthquake, we all just told each other how sorry we were, and said we were here to support each other. I’m very sad and very angry. The response was inadequate and inefficient. All I can do is thank people for their help and their interest.”
Details of how you can help the Turkey Earthquake Appeal can be found in the picture below. The organisation plan to begin taken financial donations in the next couple of weeks.
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