A retired photographer is driving 2,500 miles to Turkey to deliver aid to survivors of the earthquakes. Jeff Jones, 68, left his home on February 12, 2022, to make the three-day journey to Aksaray, Turkey, in a 17-seater community bus - loaded with supplies.
Jeff is accompanied by three Turkish volunteer drivers - Melodi Parman, Dede Dunc, and Cuma Acar. The group will drive via the Balkans to Turkey - where 7.8 magnitude earthquakes devastated south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria and left a reported 33,000 dead.
Jeff, who now works as a district and county councillor for Buntingford, Hert, says he has been "inundated" with support for the trip from the local community - who have offered clothes, tents, and even pet supplies. The group will drive 'non-stop' through the Balkans or via Greece and Italy to arrive in Turkey in a couple of days.
The route might change on the way, but when they arrive, they will offload the donations and offer support for displaced people. Jeff also made three trips to Ukraine in 2021 to take aid deliveries and assist with driving across the border.
However, he admitted his two adult children, Jenna, 37, and Alex, 32, and wife, Gill, 65, are "apprehensive" about this journey and will be looking forward to his safe return. Jeff, a former photographer, said: "We've been inundated with donations from the community, so I've been very busy working on that.
"I just want to get supplies to the affected areas as quick as possible. Everyone's been keen to help. We had a very sad story locally, with a Turkish guy, Mehmet Govher, who lived in the area.
"He had a family and owned a fish and chip shop on the high street. Unfortunately, he just went to Turkey for his mother-in-law's funeral just before the earthquake and he sadly passed away.
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"His wife survived. He went to a funeral, and he ended up with his own. So, I just thought I really want to help in any way I can."
Jeff put an appeal on social media for supplies for medical supplies and baby clothes. "I only put out a Facebook post for donations and we were inundated with supplies," he said.
"I thought, I'm able to help with logistics in getting the stuff to where it's needed. I'm able to coordinate and help with what facilities we have."
"We've really been quite strict on it, to make sure that we just take things they will require but really we're looking for is baby clothes, medical supplies, straightforward medicines and first aid kits. We've bought 10 sleeping bags, blankets, blankets, and also pet supplies, which I think gets forgotten a lot."
During his career as a photographer, Jeff travelled extensively across the Middle East - which he feels has prepared him for his trip. He has visited over 50 countries, working in Qatar, Russia, and Syria for media and on corporate photography jobs.
In the UK, he worked as a press photographer with newspapers including the Financial Times and Daily Express. As a result, he said he is "not easily fazed".
He said: "I suppose I am adventurous you know, nothing really fazes me. A 2,500 mile journey probably could put some people off but no, I'm not fazed by it because I've done a lot of travelling in my career.
"It's just it's something you have to do. You get on with it in the best way you can and as safe as possible. I'm just really keen to get to get the donations there.
"People have been so generous in their donations, so we need to make sure it's transported. That's why it's good to go in person, you can make sure it all goes to the right place.
"It's a hell of a lot of a work, but we'll get through it. It's a long trip, a longer trip than going to Ukraine, so it's just it's just about getting the right support.
"One of the Turkish drivers that I believe is going to come with me has got a lot of connections and contacts, which is important. It'll be a tiring trip I think but we will sort of do it in four-hour shifts. We'll just try to head straight there.
"The minibus can be quite comfortable to sleep in, so it's not too bad. We think we can probably do it in a couple of days, by going almost non-stop I suppose stopping for fuel and food.
"So, I am apprehensive about that but having done it before I'm quite confident I'll be able to manage it, with additional support of course. I wouldn't fancy do it on my own but with support it shouldn't be a problem."
Additional support has come from the Turkish drivers' local knowledge and contacts, and the council - with many councillors making donations towards the trip. "The Turkish community I've been speaking to they seem to know all about it and where to go," he said.
"So, I've relied very much on their on their local knowledge and their connections, which will be very useful. In terms of funding, a lot of the counsellors help out with financial donations because these can be quite expensive trips, with fuel allowance going into hundreds, maybe even thousands of pounds.
"All my fellow councillors have been very supportive. For instance, while I'm away we've got a full council meeting and I spoke to the leader of the council and said, 'Look, I don't think I'd be able to attend.' He just said, 'No, no problem at all. What you're doing is fantastic.'
"So, they fully support it."Jeff said his experience in Ukraine has also helped him to plan for travelling to Turkey. In Ukraine, we did have issues getting across the border, as we were told it could take three hours, it could take three days. We were quite fortunate," Jeff said.
"We were able to transport refugees back across Europe and into the UK, so we found it really useful to have a van in the country and I hope we'll be able to help with distribution and support this time around."
