Taunton resident raises funds for Turkish hometown after earthquakes

Aksen Karaalp is raising “as much as I can” to help his hometown of Diyarbakir, which was among the towns and cities hit by the earthquakes on Monday, February 6.

Mr Karaalp said he will send “all of the money” he earns plus the funds he will raise to help his home country.

He said: “Diyarbakir was one of the towns that were affected by the earthquakes, even though it was not affected as much as other places.

“My family is there, my parents, my brothers and sisters, and relatives still live there. Our relatives lost family members.

“When it happened, my parents called me, I wasn’t aware. They said it was a very horrible earthquake. Some cities are just flat, it will take years to rebuild.

“If I could go there, I would just leave everything and help, but I can help more here raising as much as I can to help people there. They need to rebuild roads, they need to buy medicines.

“Seeing videos and photos of babies is really upsetting. Sometimes you see videos of people full of mud and dust, but they still have a smile on their faces.

“I just want to make money for those who were affected. I will send all of the money plus the funds we raise with the charity box.

“I am a father; I have six children. When I see people on TV, with similar looks to my kids, I cannot help but think about what would have happened to them.”

Humanitarian Aid being loaded onto a Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft (Image: PA Picture Desk/PA Media/Photo by: Sharron Floyd/MOD)

Mr Karaalp started the charity box yesterday (Thursday, February 9) and in one day he raised £150. He said he will be collecting funds regularly to then send them to Turkey on a Saturday.

He speaks to his family and relatives every day and said people are scared it might happen again so most of them, including his parents, are sleeping outside in tents.

He also said: “Living far away makes everything difficult. I really want to go there, I feel I should give more than what I already do here, but I have family commitments.

“My parents still don’t sleep in their house because they are worried it may happen again. They have a tent and they are living there now, like the majority of people.”

Donations are being accepted at Silvan’s at 26a Fore Street and he is confident the Taunton community will help raise the needed funds.

Mr Karaalp said he will send the money to his father, whose home has been unaffected, and he will then go and buy whatever people need.

He said: “We have some very nice people here who always try to help.”

Mr Karaalp said he will try to go to Turkey in the next three months.

“It is a scary thing; you are not ready for it. It affects people not just physically, but also mentally. I would never wish this to happen to anyone,” he said.