THE OWNER of a Bromsgrove business and a staff member who have lost family members in the earthquake in Turkey have launched a fund-raising campaign to help those caught up in the disaster.
Bekir Babir, who owns Charlie’s Kebab House in Worcester Road, and his cousin Bekir Gungormez, who also works there, have been left devastated following the tremors which happened in Turkey and North Syria around 4am on Monday.
By yesterday more than 17,000 people were known to have died while hundreds of thousands have been left without shelter, water, fuel and electricity amidst freezing conditions.
The pair have family living in the city of Kahramanmaras and the village of Tevekkeli Koyu.
Mr Gungormez, who came to England in 2006, said he had been inspired into action by a fellow countryman who had managed to get lorry-loads of clothes and other provisions out there.
He said: “They need so much – so many people have lost everything – all their possessions and livelihoods.
“I don’t just want to help the people we know, I want to help everyone.
“The situation is really bad – they really need as much help as possible and the Government can’t reach everyone.
“A cousin of mine dragged a person from the wreckage and got them to hospital but they later died.”
He added another cousin was trapped under a demolished building and he feared by now he could also be dead.
The same cousin also lost his wife and their three children – two twins and his son.
And he added there were many other relatives who he had not heard from who also may have perished.
“The temperatures are down to -4C giving anyone trapped little chance of survival.”
Mr Gungormez and Mr Babir have set a fund-raising target of £10,000.
Appealing to the people of Bromsgrove he said: “We will just be grateful for anything anyone can donate to the fund-raising page.
“We have always found the people living here to be so generous and we are hoping they will give to this important cause.”
Anyone wanting to donate can visit – justgiving.com/crowdfunding/charlieskebabs – and pledge cash there.
The pair will be flying out to Turkey on Monday with whatever can be raised to provide immediate aid and assistance to those who need it and assess the situation and find out what is most urgently needed from then on.
Funds donated after Monday will then be used to purchase those supplies.
Mr Gungormez and Mr Babir will both be paying for the flights themselves so all the funds raised can be used for aid.
