Two major quakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 affected the region centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, consequently affecting various provinces including Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, and Adana. Many people, having heard about the situation through the media, participated in search and rescue operations using their own resources during the severe damage these earthquakes caused. The Ministry of Interior reported on April 24, 2023, the death toll from the earthquake centered on Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, is 50,783.

Eren: “I wanted to be useful”

Eren, who learned about the news via social media and went to the earthquake zone on the morning of the earthquake without being affiliated with any official organization, participated in relief efforts for four days and frequently shared his experiences on social media. After returning, he shared posts on social media about the impact the event had on him.

“Whenever I close my eyes, I think of the dozens of bodies I carried, the crying children, the sirens, the black smoke, the    people shouting to clear the way, the families sitting in a corner weeping, and many more. But most of all, I remember the   man I talked and joked with for hours, whose name I can’t even recall but whose eyes I can never forget, the man we had to leave to die due to his location despite hearing his voice. I think of the grieving father who cursed at me because I couldn’t help, the tireless worker who lost his brother but stayed with us for days without sleep, the local people who supported us every evening despite shivering in their tents every night. I remember the crushed, unrecognized faces and the sports hall where we took them with blankets. There are so many things I can’t even write down, the smell, the sound, the cold, the atmosphere. I don’t even know how many days I was there; we had no night or day. On the last day, my feet hurt so much I could hardly walk, but I regret returning so much, my heart burns, I feel so guilty, I don’t know how I’ll account for it. I’m sorry, I’m devastated…”

In our subsequent conversation, he mentioned that the events left limited traces on him. He believes this is because he was able to foresee the outcomes in advance. He stated that deeper impacts occur in situations where he cannot anticipate what he will encounter.