A Buchlyvie local has been left fearing for his family’s safety after the Turkey-Syria earthquake has left 70 of his relatives unaccounted for.
Ekrem Ozturk, originally from Turkey, moved to Buchlyvie in 2009 with his wife, Stacey, for the birth of their first son.
He grew up in Adana, Turkey, where his parents and siblings still live.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which struck at around 4am local time on February 6, destroyed Ekrem’s family’s home.
The family have lost many personal possessions also.
His parents and siblings are safe, however, they are left with no electricity, water or food.
As conditions drop to freezing, his family are left to sleep in tents outside.
His extended family, including uncles, aunts and cousins live in Kahta Adiyaman, where many of them have not been found in the debris.
Ekrem’s brother-in-law and nephew have joined the rescue mission, digging through rubble with their bare hands to help free loved ones.
Ekrem and Stacey are now working hard to deliver much-needed donations to the community in Turkey.
They have taken to Facebook to appeal for numerous types of donations including non-perishable foods, blankets, tents, nappies and torches.
Ekrem has also urged people to donate to the Red Cross appeal to ensure people get the help they need.
The first tremor was followed by another 7.5 magnitude tremor and subsequent aftershocks.
28,000 have now been confirmed dead in Turkey and Syria, with over 82,000 injured.
Hopes of pulling survivors from the ruins diminish as temperatures have plummeted to as low as -10C in the last week.
The country has also been hit by heavy rainfall in the days following the disaster and conflict has been arising between unnamed groups, forcing rescue teams to halt their work.
Donations can be made to the Red Cross on their website, or by phone on 0300 004 0339.
Featured Image Credit: Channel 4
