Off-road sports club members all over the country mobilized to carry aid to the mountainous areas where transportation conditions are difficult since the moment they heard about the two major earthquakes in the southern part of Türkiye.
One of them is Rize Off-road Sports Club. They took an arduous journey down to the south of Türkiye in a bid to help the earthquake victims in these testing times.
"After speedy communication with the provincial authorities, we quickly gathered and took a trailer with our vehicles, which we now use for giving out basic humanitarian needs. The journey, which normally takes around eight hours, took us 24 hours due to the harsh weather conditions. Snow and heavy traffic – we’ve experienced all sorts of obstacles while trying to reach Kahramanmaras," shared Orhan Kandemir, a member of the sports club.
The group is part of a larger circle of volunteers from Rize. They have not only brought basic needs but also necessary tools and vehicles to facilitate rescue operations.
"We’ve brought excavators, generators and rescue mission vehicles. We’ve also managed to prepare three trucks full of aid," Kandemir explained.
Drawing attention to the harsh weather endured by the quake survivors, he said: "The nights are extremely cold. Even the water freezes. We have a stove here on the road to keep us warm, but we feel cold in the heart as the victims of the quake are trapped in the rubble in minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) weather."
‘Here to stay as there is need’
The group said they have been in Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the twin quakes, for a week with no showers and very little sleep in their vehicles. They said they may individually go back home for a few days but will also make sure there will be someone else covering their position.
Erkan Kişmir, a business person and off-road rider from Rize, is standing at a tent giving out medical and clothing items. Next to him is his friend Hasan who gives out tea and coffee to all those on the road, who are either helping the victims or waiting for their loved ones to be pulled from the rubble.
"We knew about the cold weather before our arrival, so we even brought hand creams and lotions. Dozens of volunteers rapidly prepared bakery items in their homes. All the initial donations were quickly organized before our departure," said Kişmir, adding they did not forget to bring books too, especially for the teenagers.
The group from Rize not only operates in the Kahramanmaraş city center but also carries aid to the rural regions.
"We drove for 125 kilometers (77 miles) to reach a remote village. They were really desperate. We will continue distributing aid. We’re now in preparations to bring over wood and coal for those staying outdoors in the tents," Kişmir added.
Besides Rize, Bolu Nature Sports and Off-road Club (BOLOFF) and some volunteers from Sinop Off-road Club also visited the earthquake zone with their vehicles.
On Feb. 6, two massive earthquakes struck southeastern Türkiye, centered in Kahramanmaraş and shaking nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.
The magnitude 7.6 and 7.7 tremors also hit several countries and caused destruction in northern Syria.
Over 31,600 people were killed in Türkiye, according to the latest official figures, while the death toll topped 3,600 in Syria.