Vigil held in Ipswich to remember victims of Turkey-Syria Earthquake
Around 100 people gathered on the Cornhill last night
Last updated 16th Feb 2023
A vigil has been held in Ipswich to remember victims of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake last week.
Around 100 people gathered on the Cornhill last night (February 16) to hear speeches from members of the local Turkish and Syrian communities, as well as the Mayor of Ipswich John Cook.
The magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 quakes struck nine hours apart in south-eastern Turkey and Syria on February 6.
At least 40,000 people were killed, with the death toll expected to rise considerably as search teams find more bodies, and towns and cities inhabited by millions reduced to fragments of concrete and twisted metal.
But a humanitarian disaster is underway with up to 17 million affected, many without proper shelter, heat, electricity of access to running water.
Speaking last night, Ipswich Mayor John Cook said: "It's easy for us, living in a more modest sized country, to not really get to grips to the size (of the disaster) or the number of people killed."
"40,000 is a massive number of people. We're talking about the entire population of our neighbouring town Bury St Edmunds."
"We've got people who've got no homes, no means of running their businesses, whose live are completely devastated."
Mahmut Ozturk, who is from Turkey but has been living in Suffolk for two decades, said: "It's very important to be here and to show solidarity with people who've lost their lives and loved ones."
"Today I spoke to a friend from a city called Adıyaman... he has lost, only from his family, 20 people. Cousins, uncles, brothers, sisters, nephews and so on."
Communities across Suffolk have already been involved in donating aid to affected areas.
An Ipswich Buses warehouse is currently being filled with donations to take to Turkey, while several lorryloads of aid have already travelled from Suffolk to the worst affected areas.
Enes Ozbek, who grew up in Ipswich and now works at a local bank, said: "We managed to donate 4 or 5 lorries full of necessary needs - baby food, nappies, ladies essentials."
"We managed to do that with the support of people from Ipswich - from people donating money and stuff they don't need."