Barnstable resident frantically reaches out to family in Turkey. Here is how to help.

Rasheek Tabassum Mujib, Cape Cod Times
·3 min read

On Monday, Ashley Aytek of Barnstable was frantically reaching out to her relatives in Turkey after two devastating earthquakes have left over 23,000 people dead in southern Turkey and northwest Syria.

Ashley's husband's family lives in Diyarbakir, a city about 150 miles from the epicenter. Her husband is Umut Aytek.

"It didn't seem like someone would be able to answer me quickly, but luckily one of my husband's cousins was able to reply that everyone in the family was safe," Ashley Aytek said Friday. "They are all crammed in one building together for now, but at least they are all safe. All the videos and photos we've seen on the news are gut-wrenching for us now."

Barnstable residents Ashley Aytek, 28, (center, seated) and Umut Aytek, (left of Ashley Aytek) with their family in Diyarbakir during a trip to Turkey. Ashley Aytek has been living on the Cape all her life and Umut moved to Cape Cod in 2019.
Barnstable residents Ashley Aytek, 28, (center, seated) and Umut Aytek, (left of Ashley Aytek) with their family in Diyarbakir during a trip to Turkey. Ashley Aytek has been living on the Cape all her life and Umut moved to Cape Cod in 2019.

A friend of the Aytek family, who also lives on Cape Cod, has family in Iskenderun, close to the epicenter. According to Ashley Aytek, his family is sleeping in cars due to a lack of shelters and the terrible cold, and no one has yet come to rescue them.

"The situation is horrible at the moment, and any help or assistance we can provide can go a long way for them," said Aytek, a pharmacist at the Cape Cod Hospital.

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According to a statement by the U.S. Department of State, since Monday, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate teams, USAID's Disaster Assistance and Response Team have been working in the region. In addition, $85 million in urgent humanitarian assistance was announced by the State Department on Thursday.

Several global donation efforts are making their way into the devastated regions. According to the American Red Cross, those interested can send donations of blankets, tents, sleeping bags, pocket warmers, winter clothing, and over-the-counter medications for flu, cold, and painkillers to the Turkish Embassy and Turkish Consulates across the U.S. by mail or through in-person drop-off.

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For those who want to donate, here are options:

  • Turkish Consulate General in Boston is accepting "in-kind donations" between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. at its office at 31 Saint James Ave in Boston. According to the official Facebook statement, they started transporting the supplies via Turkish Airlines on Thursday. Larger, bulkier supplies should be brought to the Freerange Market at 325 Rivers Edge Drive in Medford. Contact/Emergency phone line: (857) 207-9284; consulate.boston@mfa.gov.tr

  • The New England Turkish Student Association (NETSA), a Boston-based nonprofit, is accepting donations. "NETSA supports the collective effort of Turkish Philanthropy Funds - TPF to help ease the devastating effect of earthquakes in the South-Southeast Regions of Turkiye," the organization's website states. Boston University, Harvard College, Northeastern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tufts University, UMASS Amherst & Lowell University, and other regional universities are affiliated with NETSA. For donation: https://www.newenglandtsa.org/turkiye-earthquake-relief

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Worried family from Cape Cod makes contact in Turkey after earthquake