Turkish-born Londoner who survived 1999 quake helps appeal efforts

Timucin Ari, a Turkish-born London dentist, is reliving some of his most painful memories after hearing news of an earthquake near the Turkish-Syrian border.

Ari grew up and lived many years in northern Turkey, where he and others were victims of the 1999 İzmit earthquake, which killed more than 18,000 people, and injured almost 50,000 in August of that year.

"I remember the days that we had to sleep outside. We had no food for at least a week or so. It just brings all those terrible, terrible memories in my mind again," Ari said, recounting his assistance of doctors in helping treat and save people caught in rubble in 1999.

Early Monday morning, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. It toppled hundreds of buildings and killed upwards of 6,200 people. Thousands were believed to still be trapped, with tolls of dead or missing individuals expected to rise as rescue workers search wreckage.

Even 500 kilometres away in Lebanon, thousands of residents woke up in the dead of the night to tremors that shook the foundations of their homes. Mahmoud Maatouk, who lives in London and has family in Lebanon, told CBC News painful memories of the 2020 Beirut explosion resurfaced as a result.

Ari told CBC News he first heard of the quake through social media channels and friends on Sunday night, at around 5 a.m., Monday, Turkish time.

The majority of his friends and relatives are from northern Turkey, near the country's most populous city, Istanbul. Still, Ari said he knew many people from the area near Gazientep, which is a major provincial capital about 33 kilometres from the epicentre of the quake.

Upon hearing news of the disaster he attempted to make contact with many of his friends, he said. Many reported seeing hospitals, schools and apartment complexes reduced to rubble.

Although some responded, two had not at the time of Ari's interview with CBC News. 

"I'm hoping they're still alive. I'm hoping that their families are OK," he said.

Those that had responded shared a bittersweet relief with him.

"They don't have homes. They don't have shelter from the cold, but they are alive."

Thousands waited in freezing temperatures for help, without shelter in the aftermath of the quake. Temperatures in Gazientep were expected to drop to -6 C by Wednesday morning.

In northern Syria, the weather situation was much the same, albeit the effects of the quake impacted people differently, according to Ahmed Baladiya, an active member of London's Syrian community.