Yale Daily News

On Monday, Feb. 6, Turkey and Syria woke up to the most powerful earthquake to hit the region in a century.

Southern Turkey was hit by several aftershocks, one almost as big as the initial earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.5. In response to the catastrophe, members of the Turkish Student Association at Yale and International Students’ Organization have started a fundraising campaign to support the rescue and relief efforts that are going on in the hardest-hit provinces. 

The ongoing campaign has raised over $6,000 so far. The proceeds will go to AKUT Search and Rescue Association — currently the leading rescue organization in Turkey — and AHBAP — a charity organization which aids social responses. Both local organizations are based solely on volunteers. 

“My only consolation is that we can help,” said Seyma Kaya ’24, who is Turkish. “That it actually helps to be far away, for we have the tools to raise international awareness. A dollar is worth almost nineteen Turkish liras. Ten dollars will provide one-day worth of food for a family. There are no small donations.” 

As of Tuesday at 8 p.m., there were at least 7,700 deaths reported in Turkey and Syria. Rescue teams have worked to help those trapped under rubble, without shelter and exposed to extreme cold weather and snow. The World Health Organization estimates the death toll to surpass 20,000, while Turkish earthquake experts estimate deaths to reach 180,000. Turkey has declared national mourning for a week and issued a level 4 alarm, which includes an international call for help. 

The earthquake has caused severe damage in at least 10 cities in Southeastern Turkey and five cities in Syria, leaving thousands of buildings in the destruction sites in ruins. The president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency in the affected cities.

Turkish members of the Yale community expressed a shared sense of grief and sorrow in response to the tragic events happening in their home country.

“I was paralyzed for a day,” Kaya said. “Nothing makes sense when you are a part of such an enormous collective destruction and suffering, and you have to walk around people who have no idea. What do you do when people ask you ‘how are you’ in passing? Spread the word? I was still too shocked to say anything.”

Ozan Say, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars, told the News that OISS reached out to all Turkish and Syrian students and scholars at Yale on Monday morning.

Say noted that while the families and loved ones of most of these students and scholars are thankfully safe, a few have relatives or friends in the disaster zone. He added that OISS will “continue to work with them to provide any support we can.”

Co-president of ISO Dilge Buksur ’24, another Turkish student, told the News that the ISO reached out to the Middle Eastern and North African Student Association at Yale to increase the scale of the fundraising campaign and support those affected throughout the region.

Expressing his sadness due to the magnitude of destruction and loss of life, Say said that OISS has been closely following the news in Southern Turkey and Northern Syria.

“Even though most of our students and scholars might not be directly affected by this disaster, as a Turkish national myself, I can attest that the awful images and news that are pouring in every minute are painful to follow and the incredible sense of loss is felt by everyone,” Say wrote.

Cem Kupeli ’25, the treasurer of TSA and technology director of ISO, has been actively taking part in the ongoing fundraising efforts. He explained to the News that students can donate to @yaleISO on Venmo, or directly to trusted relief organizations such as AKUT, AHBAP, Bridge to Türkiye Fund, Turkish Philanthropy Funds and White Helmets. 

By reaching out to alumni for support, ISO and TSA managed to find firms, such as Netflix and Google, willing to match donations collected 2:1 — such that for every dollar collected, the firm will donate twice that amount — or 1:1.

Kupeli added that both TSA and ISO are continuing to contact different administrators and organizations at Yale to maximize the immediate support, including Dwight Hall, the Alumni Association and the Office of the Secretary and Vice President for University Life.

“Executive Director Crumlish of Dwight Hall also offered support in planning fundraising events in the coming weeks,” Kupeli said. “This will be crucial, since immediate fundraising for rescue efforts is equally important as sustained support to provide shelter for communities impacted by the sheer destruction that the earthquakes caused.”

Kupeli emphasized that due to the exchange rate between currencies, U.S. $20 equals 376 Turkish Liras, which is enough to shelter a family for one night.

The earthquake at 4.17 a.m. on Monday morning, Turkish time, lasted for a minute and a half.