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UA students organize aid for Turkish earthquake victims

Casey Dexter Arizona Summer Wildcat An unidentified member of the Turkish Students Association listens to a reading of items needed by survivors of the earthquake that shook Turkey on Tuesday. Resources such as body bags, blankets and tents will be bought using donations collected on campus by the club next week.

Cansu Bulgu and nine other members of UA's Turkish Student Association gathered at the Memorial Student Union's Fiddlee Fig on Friday to figure out how a small group of students can aid tens of thousands of victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

Bulgu raced inside from an sudden afternoon storm, with her blue tank top sprinkled with rain, ready with ideas for the group to launch a university-wide donation campaign for earthquake victims.

Addressing the other members grouped around three pushed-together tables, she stood tall and confident.

"I have great news for all of us," she said. "We figured out an efficient and effective way to deliver help."

According to reports yesterday, more than 12,000 Turks have died since last Tuesday's quake. Some officials said there could be up to 40,000 dead because many more are still missing under the rubble. The quake registered a 7.4 on the Richter scale.

Bulgu presented the group with several business and organization contacts, plus a three-page list of priority items from the Turkish Consulate.

"This is really heart breaking," she said, while reading the supply list that included corpse bags, medical supplies and jeeps.

Bulgu admitted her initial reaction when she first read it was disbelief.

"My whole body rose, every single cell in my body just...just couldn't believe it," she said.

Realizing the need to increase disaster relief, Turkish Airlines offered free delivery of items for earthquake relief. Anything else, such as perishable foods will be charged, she said.

Donated items will go to Chicago, Miami and New York before heading off to Turkey. World Care, a non-profit humanitarian organization has agreed to store the donated University of Arizona items, but TSA has not found a trucking company to transport them to the three cities.

Bulgu, who graduated in May from the UA with a degree in management and informational systems, marketing and entrepreneurship, has family and emotional ties to Turkey.

"I was happy that nothing happened to my mom," she said. "I couldn't believe what she was telling me, she (her mom) said, 'For 45 seconds I felt like that house was going to fall on top of me,'" Bulgu said.

She had to download images from the Internet because it seemed so surreal to her.

Another way to assist the disaster-stricken area is with financial donations. According to Bulgu, the American Red Cross has already collected more than $11,000 locally.

As the storm intensified outside, the discussion became more heated about the logistics of how the student organization was going to collect items and financial donations from the UA and Tucson community.

Bulgu said yesterday that TSA plans to start the "Wildcats for Turkey Earthquake Relief" campaign on the UA Mall for the next two weeks, targeting university students, faculty and staff. The campaign is supposed to promote financial and item donations.

They also plan to collect priority-items from residence halls, greek system members and other Tucson organizations.

More TSA members dropped by as the time wore on, pulling out checkbooks immediately. A total of $1,200 was raised by the organization itself, nine of the 14 donations were accepted at the meeting that night.

Irfan Yolcubal, a doctorate student in hydrology and TSA member, kept calling the busy Turkish phone lines after watching the news.

"I feel so terrible because I have relatives in Istanbul and friends in Izmit," he said.

Izmit was the epicenter of the earthquake and located northwest of the Turkey's capital, Ankara.

He has experienced earthquake tremors before and described it as chaotic.

"It's terrible because everyone is running to the door," he said. "It's very frustrating - you don't know what to do because you're so panicked."

By the time members left the two-hour meeting, the rain had stopped and skies began to clear. Bulgu breathed a sigh a relief after spending the whole day on the phone and the Internet, but knows she has more work to do. She is not surprised by the outpouring of help.

"I'm really happy," she said. "I think people are a lot more responsive than people think they are."

"Wildcats for Earthquake Relief," a web page set up by TSA has more updated information for those interested in contributing to the victims, is at clubs.asua.arizona.edu/~tsa.

Beginning today, TSA will have tents from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Mall for donations. Items such as sleeping bags, soap and rubber gloves can be donated. The website will have specific items the TSA will be taking, but other items will not be discouraged, Bulgu said.

Besides the Mall, the Student Union will have collection boxes.

A Turkish earthquake relief fund has been set up at DM Credit Union.