The flag at the Turkish mosque on Vredehofstraat in Hoorn is flying at half-mast. Inside, the Turkish news is on and people are glued to the television. “Half of the Turkish community in Hoorn comes from the affected disaster area near the city of Gaziantep,” says board member Mustafa Karatas. He lost three family members to the earthquake.
Yesterday seems like a bad dream when he gets up and reads the bad news on his phone. “I immediately contacted my family, mainly via WhatsApp. My family was in shock, they were speechless. A family member was under the rubble.”
Today follows the fateful message of his in-laws. “Father, mother and an 8-month-old baby have died. They were only able to save the three-year-old child.” Mustafa can barely comprehend it. “He was trying to protect his family when it collapsed, like a human shield.”
In shock
The shock in the Turkish community in Hoorn is enormous. Both the Dutch and Turkish flags are already flying at half-mast at the mosque in Hoorn. The mosque is also in mourning for seven days. “Everyone is now trying to help each other en masse. We try to follow the news closely. We are therefore happy if people have been found under the rubble again.”
Not everyone can get in touch with family in Turkey. Some have come to the mosque and find support in each other. Others stay at home, says Mustafa. “Hopefully waiting for a call from a family member.”
Mustafa also owns a house in Gaziantep. That is – as far as he knows – still standing. “I have been in contact about it today, but they could not say what the exact state is yet.”
Yesterday, clothing was already brought by involved mosque-goers on their own initiative. “We are still discussing how we can provide further support and how to deal with this. We cannot mean much now at a distance of 4,000 kilometers.”