‘No-one to call mum or dad’: Turkish caller appeals to govt to make refugee scheme for earthquake victims
10 February 2023, 09:53 | Updated: 10 February 2023, 10:03
Caller appeals to government to create refugee scheme for Turkey
Tuncay in Tottenham made an appeal to LBC listeners to sign his petition to create a refugee scheme for earthquake victims in Turkey after his 16-year-old cousin was left an orphan by the second shock.
Over 21,000 people are now confirmed to have died following the catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria this week.
Both countries fell victim to a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that razed buildings, killed thousands, injured many others, and left families separated.
Tuncay, a Turkish national, phoned in to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC to share his plight.
Click here to sign Tuncay's petition.
He said: "On the second earthquake on Monday, my first cousin, her five-year-old, ten-year-old and husband passed away.
"The only survivor is a sixteen-year-old boy.
"We’re trying out best to get him to safety, to get him here."
Read More: Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll tops 21,000 as hope fades in search for survivors
Tuncay opened up about a Parliament petition that he was "trying to raise awareness" of to get his cousin and others in similar situations over to the UK.
"I want to be able to get him over here, at sixteen, with no one left in his family. No one to call mum. No one to call dad.", Tuncay explained.
He then explained that the sixteen-year-old was still in the affected areas, "quite close to where his parents lay dead on hospital floors", continuing that he didn't want to leave the area till his parents are buried.
"He wants his parents to rest, rather than just lay there."
Tuncay then shared that his family have lost around 40 to 50 relatives in the earthquakes and that there are still "countless" family members they're trying to get in touch with.
He added: "It’s currently minus five degrees in shelters with no food.
"My aunt’s been boiling snow as a source of nourishment. There’s no food, no aid."
Tuncay appealed to listeners to sign his petition which calls for the government to create a Turkish Family Scheme visa for people left homeless due to the earthquakes.
