Research Institute on Turkey, Inc.

In the early morning hours of Monday, February 6, 2023, the region of southern Turkey and northern Syria was hit by an initial earthquake with 7.7 points on the Richter scale. This earthquake was followed only hours later by another earthquake in the same region that reached 7.6 points. With over 52.000 death counts is referred to as the “earthquake of the century” with countless aftershocks, which go—according to some accounts—into more than ten-thousands, many of them being felt in Cyprus and as far as Lebanon and Israel/Palestine. These earthquakes not only destroyed whole landscapes and cities in the region of southern Turkey and northern Syria but also affected the lives of millions of people in this region with a scale of destruction and suffering that lies beyond comprehension.

This fundraiser is dedicated to the people from the city of Hatay which is a region that was hit hard with almost all its historical sites and neighborhoods being destroyed or scheduled to be eradicated. Those who survived the earthquakes not only lost, just in a matter of seconds, beloved ones, family members, friends, and relatives, but also all their belonging, houses, and jobs, in short, the way of living as they knew it. Despite the immediate rescue work that reached some parts of this region, most people had to leave Hatay due to the lack of basic infrastructure like water, electricity, and shelter. Others now must survive in containers, tents, or other unsustainable solutions. Considering the unimaginable scale of destruction, this fundraiser aims to elevate the untold pain that so many people in this region face along with the life-changing decisions that lie ahead for them. This fundraiser aims to support all those efforts, both urgent and long-term, that aspire to re-construct the basic infrastructures but also to rebuild local communities and their way of life, which is expected to last for months and years to come.

The funds raised will be donated to Research Institute on Turkey and its effort to support vetted locally based organizations that actively work in Hatay and the region for relief and recovery efforts. RIT is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization in New York State and your donations are tax-deductible. More information can be found on their website www.riturkey.org and RIT’s social media accounts.

Twitter: @RIoTurkey Instagram / Facebook: @Researchinstituteonturkey

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Research Institute On Turkey Inc (Research Institute On Turkey), and any donation will help make an impact. They are helping towards the recent earthquake hit in Turkey. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Research Institute On Turkey Inc (Research Institute On Turkey): Worldwide Social Justice and Equality Initiatives

Update 2/15/2023

Thank you all for your generous support. We are reaching $180 K in donations - more than what we initially planned.

We closely follow the developments in Turkey that can affect how the funds are allocated and dispersed. As promised in our initial message, we commit to the safe transfer of our funds reaching the most vulnerable on the ground. Research Institute on Turkey is an active and well-connected member of civil society in Turkey. We will utilize this advantage to pin down the trusted and vetted organizations that actively work in the affected areas. We will not transfer any funds to any organizations until we can guarantee that there will be no interruptions or diversions of the funds.

We are also grateful that a large funding pool is created by various organizations in the US and there is a steady flow of funds to Turkey. We believe that this will be a long haul and we will do our best to make use of our humble contribution to the relief efforts.

We will continue to share updates as new developments emerge.

Thank you for helping us diversify our resources for the most vulnerable on the ground.

Research Institute on Turkey

2/6/2023

On February 6, 2023, at 04:17, Turkey woke up to a dark day. One of the deadliest in the history of the country, two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.8 and 7.5 hit central Turkey and Syria, affecting nearby countries and many cities where some 15 million people live.

The toll of the earthquake, which heavily affected the region where it occurred, especially Hatay, Maraş, Antep, Diyarbakır, Malatya, Osmaniye, Adana, Adıyaman and Urfa, is in the order of thousands and still rising.

Snowy winter exacerbates the humanitarian disaster, as many affected regions are yet unattended by rescue teams. Turkey declared a Level-4 emergency alert that includes a general call for international support. According to the initial reports from the region, many people either lost their lives or are still under the rubble, and thousands were left homeless in cold weather conditions or cannot enter their homes. Despite the incremental weather, search and rescue teams continue their work in the region. Concern grows deeper that the weight of the destruction is more serious than we can currently see.

From the very first moment of the earthquake, many local aid and support organizations have been mobilized and are trying to reach and provide aid to the earthquake victims as conditions allow. There is an urgent need for immediate actions and resources such as food, winter clothing and shelter support.

Research Institute on Turkey calls for the international community to provide immediate support for recovery efforts by raising funds that will be transparently transferred to Ahbap Derneği as well as other active and respected non-governmental organizations in Turkey, which are working in the affected region, mobilize local and international support. Donation updates will be frequently shared on the campaign page.

Your urgent support and assistance to earthquake victims are very important and vital.

Every penny counts and all donations will support the recovery efforts. As needs emerge, we will support local and vetted partner organizations in the region. Please help us spread the word.

Organizer:

Research Institute on Turkey (RIT)

Research Institute on Turkey, Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization in New York State, USA. EIN: 81-4004031

Supporting Organization:

Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project

Supporting Academics & Researchers:

Canan Dağdeviren, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Eylem Delikanli, Research Institute on Turkey, USA

Çağhan Kızıl, Columbia University, USA

Aylin Tekiner, Research Institute on Turkey, USA

Ayşe Bingöl Demir, Turkey Litigation Support Project, UK

Yektan Türkyılmaz, Central European University, Austria

Gülce Nazlı Dikeçligil, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Esra Akcan, Cornell University, USA

Onur Günay, Princeton University, USA

Işın Önol, University of Applied Arts, Austria

Lara Fresko, Bard College, USA

Civan Özkanoğlu, Artist, USA

Semir Beyaz, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA

Bruce Alberts, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and National Academy of Sciences (NAS), USA

Richard Mayeux, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and National Academy of Medicine (NAM), USA

Nancy Green, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), USA

Dani Rodrik, Harvard University, USA

Can Erbil, Boston College, USA

Tolga Can, Colorado School of Mines, USA

Tolga Özmen, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA

Aslı Arda, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Derya Sargın, University of Calgary, Canada

Tobias Noebauer, The Rockefeller University, USA

Ayça Çubukçu, London School of Economics, UK

Marianne Hirsch, Columbia University, USA

Leo Spitzer, Dartmouth College, USA

Arnold Aronson, Columbia University, USA

Diana Taylor, New York University, USA

Lorie Novak, New York University, USA

Ali Yaycıoğlu, Stanford University, USA

Ayça Alemdaroğlu, Stanford University, USA

Selçuk Şirin, New York University (NYU), USA

Mete Atatüre, University of Cambridge, UK

Ayten Gündoğdu, Barnard College, USA

Lydia Lynch, Harvard Medical School, USA

Özge Samancı, Northwestern University, USA

Maria Jose, Columbia University, USA

Işınsu Baylam Toker, California Polytechnic State University and OPTICA, USA

Maggie Boyraz, California State University San Bernardino, USA

Bilge Yıldız, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Philip Leach, Middlesex University, UK

Helen Duffy, Leiden University, Netherlands