AN EARTHQUAKE VICTIM HUGGED KILIÇDAROĞLU AND COULD NOT HOLD BACK HER TEARS: "THE CHILDREN ARE GONE, PRESIDENT, SAVE US"

CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu arrived in Kahramanmaraş as part of his visit to the region due to the 6 February Elbistan and Pazarcık earthquakes. A citizen from Kahramanmaraş hugged Kılıçdaroğlu and said, "My children are under the rubble. Our children are gone, my president. Save us, pull your teams here" and could not hold back his tears.

Two significant earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February affected ten regional provinces and caused great destruction. CHP Leader Kılıçdaroğlu, who went to the region yesterday morning, travelled to Osmaniye this morning after his inspections in Adana and Hatay and their districts until midnight last night. After his inspections in Osmaniye, Kılıçdaroğlu travelled to Kahramanmaraş.

Kılıçdaroğlu was accompanied by CHP Deputy Chairman and Kahramanmaraş Deputy Ali Öztunç, CHP deputies Ahmet Kaya, Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş, Mersin Metropolitan Mayor Vahap Seçer.

"I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY THE BANK AFTER 3 MONTHS"

A citizen asked Kılıçdaroğlu, "The government declared a state of emergency for three months. What will I do after three months? We perceive that my bank payments have been postponed for three months. But I am not in a position to pay after three months. I cannot afford to eat bread," he complained. Kılıçdaroğlu said to the citizen, "You cannot pay. I will address these issues, don't worry."

HUGGED AND CRIED

Another citizen said, "My children are under the rubble. Our children are gone, Mr President, save us, pull your teams here," he said, hugging Kılıçdaroğlu and crying.

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş pointed to a search and rescue worker and said, "Mr President, our friend is one of those who arrived in the morning on the first day."

Deniz Yavuzyılmaz said, "100 miners are here; they have arrived. We are working," he said. The search and rescue officer told Kılıçdaroğlu, "All our teams are here. We started with drinking water for food and support for the villages, and we have set up bread ovens."

Öztunç said that two crying children who came to CHP Leader Kılıçdaroğlu informed the search and rescue worker that their father was trapped under the rubble, saying, "That building right there. Karabekir Apartment" and directed the team to that person.

THE CRYING WOMAN ASKED FOR HELP

A woman citizen from Kahramanmaras said to Kılıçdaroğlu, "For the sake of Allah. Brother, brother... We need a dozer, a digger, and a crane. Damla Apartment Building... For God's sake, please. We need a crane. I have two nephews and two brothers. We need a crane. AFAD comes, but there's no crane. They can't do anything because there is no crane. Please, for God's sake. Please don't brush it off, please," she wailed. While trying to calm the woman down, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Look, this friend of ours is the head of the rescue team from Ankara. There are all work machines. One more person told me about an apartment block, and one more about you... Take care of it."

The head of the rescue team left with the woman.

Kılıçdaroğlu met with earthquake victims in Kahramanmaraş and listened to their problems. Then he set off for the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş, the epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake.