Bülent Şentürk, who lives in İzmit district of Kocaeli, was trapped under the rubble with his family during the August 17, 1999 Marmara Earthquake, whose epicenter was Gölcük. Şentürk, who was rescued from the rubble after struggling to survive for a long time among the ruins, lost his 10-year-old sister and many of his relatives, in addition to the great devastation he experienced.
Şentürk, who recovered from the trauma caused by the earthquake and returned to his life, decided to become a search and rescue volunteer when he came across AKUT's stand in the commemoration program organized for the anniversary of the 17 August Marmara Earthquake in 2009.
Şentürk, who devoted himself to helping earthquake victims within AKUT, crossed paths with his wife Elif Şentürk, who was also a earthquake victim and worked in the association. The couple, who got married in 2014, had a child named Ali Uras.
The Şentürk couple, who served as search and rescue volunteers in the association, are now coming to the aid of disaster victims after the great pain and trauma they experienced.
The couple, who works at the Istanbul AKUT center in Şişli, told the AA correspondent about their experiences during the earthquake, their work in the association and the awareness activities for families about the earthquake.
"People are struggling with their hands to get out of there."
Stating that he lived with his family in Gölcük, Şentürk said that he returned home from vacation on the day of the earthquake, and that he and his mother, father and siblings woke up at night with the tremors of the earthquake, that they could not understand what had happened because they had not seen such an earthquake, and that after they stood up and took a few steps, their house collapsed.
Stating that they were stuck under the rubble as a family, Şentürk said, "My uncle was the first to pull me out of the rubble. Then I pulled my brother out. There were wounds on my body and there were scratches all over me. Then we pulled out my mother. My mother was also hit hard and had many fractures on her body. I did not see my other siblings get out. Her sister, Meral, was 10 years old, we lost them in the earthquake. My uncle and aunt were in the same house, they passed away. We lost 11 people in the building we lived in." he said.
Şentürk talked about what he experienced under the rubble and the psychological effects of the earthquake: "I cannot forget my feelings under the rubble. Screams, conversations with each other... People struggle with their hands to get out of there. After the earthquake, psychological problems occurred rather than health problems. We were sleeping in the tent. We were experiencing such fear at every moment. There were aftershocks. It was as if the ground would split open and we were going to fall into it. There was a landslide below our house. The road was straight, it slid down 3 meters. Of course, people feel bad when they see them." he expressed it with his words.
"My wife and I are in the same boat together"
Stating that his perspective on life changed after the earthquake and that he decided to volunteer at AKUT in 2009, Şentürk said, "There were people and the team who saved me during the earthquake. I wanted to be a part of the team that extended a hand to me. I thought I would help people, lend a hand, and joined the team. We reached out to many people when necessary. It is a very good feeling." he said.
Şentürk stated that he met his wife after joining AKUT and that they helped the earthquake victims together and said, "It was very different for me and my wife to meet and get married in the association. We are in the same boat together. We go to some operations together. It is very good in this respect, we understand each other very well." he said.
Şentürk said that he worked in Hatay after the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, and that he could not put into words the feelings that connecting people to life created in him.
Emphasizing that we are in an earthquake country and should be prepared for it, Şentürk said, "First of all, we need to know well what needs to be done before and after the earthquake. It is necessary to determine the gathering areas in advance. We need to fix the moving objects in our house, where to stand and what to do in case of an earthquake, preparations for before and after the earthquake, earthquake bag, emergency medicines, water, all of these beforehand. It is also important to do collapse-cover-hold on the ground in case of an earthquake." made suggestions.
"If we can touch people's lives, that is the greatest happiness for us."
Elif Şentürk, on the other hand, explained that she and her family were caught in an earthquake in their house in Gölcük, they woke up with a big earthquake, and she managed to get out after the earthquake passed, but her house was damaged in the earthquake and some of its walls collapsed.
Stating that he graduated from high school after the earthquake and that he worked at AKUT to help people because he was an earthquake victim, and that he met his wife there, Şentürk said, "There is a great advantage in working with my wife because we understand each other very well. The purpose of both of us coming there is clear. If we can touch people's lives, that is the greatest happiness for us." he said.
Şentürk stated that parents should inform their children about earthquakes and said, "Our country is an earthquake zone. Earthquakes will always happen. I try to explain this to my child as a natural thing. We are always in AKUT as a family. There is always the subject of earthquakes at home, preparations for earthquakes are talked about. Our child also has an awareness. The more conscious we become, the better we can manage the situation at that moment, the more profitable we will actually be." he said.
The couple's 12-year-old son, Ali Uras Şentürk, said that he knew what to do before, during and after the earthquake and that he managed to overcome his fear of earthquakes.
