The Reutlingen entrepreneurs Mustafa Karakoc and Furkan Sari want to send seven trucks with relief supplies to the earthquake victims in Turkey. They are deeply impressed by the solidarity of their Swabian compatriots.
By Hannah Moeller, Reutlingen
Unpack, sort, assemble, pack up again – and off to the truck. During the night from Monday to Tuesday, the hall of Mustafa Karakoc, a Reutlingen car rental company, was transformed into a collection center for earthquake victims in Turkey. Normally cars are presented here, now pallets of boxes are stacked up. Tables are lined up in the middle of the hall, and women sort wet wipes, baby food, sleeping bags and blankets on them.
Sevtap Yilmaz quickly packs diapers into a cardboard box, puts tape over them and writes “Bebek Bezi” on it with a permanent marker – Turkish for “diapers”. The declaration is important so that the trucks can get through customs quickly. The 36-year-old has to hurry: “When my children come home from school, I have to take care of them.” After that she might be able to move on. “It goes without saying that everyone would do it,” says Yilmaz.
His relatives live in the earthquake area
Mustafa Karakoc’s mobile phone rings constantly, while he’s on the phone, the entrepreneur hurries through the hall, gesticulating, coordinating, instructing. “Mustafa, where should the things go?” asks one of the helpers. A small truck has arrived at the entrance to the hall with a new delivery. Karakocs is about to give instructions when his cell phone rings again. His voice is calm, his face pale.
The relatives live in the heavily affected area, in the city of Kiziltepe. It is close to the Syrian border, in south-eastern Turkey. Relatives died, some seriously injured, says Karakoc. He couldn’t say exactly how many. “We’re all confused, don’t get any messages.” The cell phone network was down in the earthquake area. What he knows, he knows through the media. Karakoc says: “It’s no use racking my brains, we have to keep going.”
We – that was around 150 volunteers on Tuesday. “I didn’t know half of them. We even had to send people back because we didn’t have the capacity anymore,” says Furkan Sari, 39, Karakoc’s business partner and friend. The hall is not very big. Most helpers have Turkish roots, some people come from Romania and Macedonia. Sari speaks of an “incredible commitment”. Baby food, diapers, canned goods, shoes, wheelchairs, prams, heaters, wet wipes, tents – Karakoc estimates that a total of 30 tons of goods were brought to the collection point by residents of Reutlingen and the surrounding area. Three trucks stuffed to the roof with boxes.
Customers spontaneously gave away their purchases
Sari was particularly touched by one experience: “We went to the shopping center to buy non-perishable food and hygiene items,” he says. They were constantly being asked about it. “Are you collecting for Turkey?” customers asked. “Yes,” Sari replied. As a result, people gave away their purchases or pulled out their wallets. “We would be very thankful.”
In total, Karakoc, who not only rents and sells cars but also runs a forwarding agency, wants to bring seven of his own trucks to the Bulgarian-Turkish border. Twelve drivers, two volunteers per truck so they can drive non-stop. “We released our colleagues from day-to-day business,” reports his business friend Sari. Some clients will now have to wait longer for their transports. “Everyone reacted with understanding,” says Sari.
Before and after shots
Satellite images show the extent of the earthquake disaster in Turkey
Meanwhile, the death toll is almost 12,000 people – “and it’s going to be more,” fears Sari. “It’ll be quick in the cold.” He remembers the Golcük earthquake in 1999. At that time, when he was still very young, 30 relatives died. “That’s why I can understand how those affected feel now.” Especially parents. “I have two daughters myself,” says Saris, but then his voice breaks and tears well up in his eyes.
Fatigue hits him with full force
He pulls out his cell phone and shows a picture of a father holding his dead daughter’s hand. Her body was buried under the rubble. “My little daughter, 7 years old, packed her dolls yesterday and said: Dad, send them to Turkey.” He suspects she’s in shock.
Suddenly, fatigue hit him with full force. In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday he filled packages up to four o’clock, then slept for an hour, at six he was back in the hall.
Furkan Sari loads diapers for the convoy to the earthquake area
© Horst Haas / star
Two trucks driven by Mustafa Karakoc and Furkan Sari started in Reutlingen on Wednesday evening. In the direction of Edirne, where Turkey’s state civil protection organization has set up a logistics center. From there, local helpers transport the goods to the crisis area.
The star continues to report on the action from Reutlingen and follows the journey of the helpers to the crisis area.