A Turkish man, who lost both legs after he was trapped under the rubble for days during the 1999 earthquake in Kocaeli's Gölcük district, aims to provide hope and moral support to survivors who lost limbs in the recent earthquakes – that devastated the country's southern and southeastern region.
Ufuk Koçak, rescued after surviving three days under debris, held on to sports and broke the world's disabled free diving record.
Koçak, who also surfs, climbs mountains, and is currently writing a book about his life, participates in the recovery process by meeting the earthquake victims and relatives of those who lost limbs during earthquakes.
Setting out with his own vehicle, Koçak met over 100 people and their families in five provinces including Antalya, Mersin, Adana, Ankara and Elazığ. He visited the earthquake victims who are currently under treatment at various hospitals, motivating them to face the adversities with courage while sharing his inspiring story.
"Seeing me, seeing me walk, knowing my story motivates them. My goal is to reach out to everyone who has lost a limb," Koçak explained, adding that he stays in contact with the victims and shares his experiences of how disabilities cannot stop anyone from achieving so much in life.
Accepting that the recovery process is hard and the victims indeed are experiencing a "sensitive period of their lives, "Koçak noted it was a ''little different'' for the earthquake survivors to meet him.
"The situation of one who fell off the roof can relate to someone who went through the same experience," he said.
Adding that certainly there is no happiness in pain, he also said that making people smile on such traumatic days highlights that person's determination and endeavor.
''Actually, this is the real happiness for me,'' Koçak described.
Comparing the 1999 catastrophe with the recent quakes, Koçak said, "This is definitely not like the Aug.17, 1999 earthquake. This is a disaster that is 10 times, 20 times bigger."
He concluded by giving hope to the survivors of the recent earthquakes, ensuring them that the testing times won't last for long.