Live updates: Follow the latest on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
The night before a devastating earthquake struck southern Turkey, Sinan Guneri went to bed anticipating a normal week serving kebabs from his restaurant in Diyarbakir’s Yenisehir neighbourhood.
Within 12 hours he was frantically organising shipments of food and aid from the takeaway business, helped by staff, friends and an ad hoc collection of local business people.
Their efforts are just one example of the way people across the country have thrown themselves into the aid effort. Moved by the plight of fellow citizens caught in a disaster that had claimed more than 24,000 lives in the country as of Saturday evening, countless numbers have come together independently of any official prompting to help in any way they can.
“We began by distributing food to all the people we could — emergency workers and ordinary people working on the collapsed buildings, as well as those who were made homeless by the earthquake,” Mr Guneri told The National on Saturday.
His unimposing restaurant, with a sign featuring cartoon character Obelix hanging above its glass door, has now become an informal distribution centre for all kinds of aid supplies, not just food but also tents, blankets and other necessities.
“Three or four trucks left yesterday for Adiyaman,” Mr Guneri said from his business, sitting near sacks of potatoes and crates of bread waiting to be loaded. “So far we have sent nine trucks to places outside Diyarbakir, as well as helping those in our city.”
Diyarbakir, the unofficial capital of Turkey’s Kurdish population, is the easternmost of 10 provinces within the disaster zone. Although just a handful of buildings in the city collapsed, the death toll across the province reached 219 by Saturday.
“We have 13 people here working to provide aid, many of them my family members, but we are working alongside a volunteer group of 60 or 70 people,” Mr Guneri said.
“We distributed 2,000 loaves of bread on the first day. Some people send us money which we use to buy blankets and heaters. The restaurant has become an aid distribution point. We work from early to late — I think I’ve slept about 10 hours over the last six days.
We work from early to late — I think I’ve slept about 10 hours over the last six days
Sinan Guneri,
restaurant owner in Diyarbakir
“I get 650 to 700 calls a day and we co-ordinate with people on Twitter and WhatsApp. One WhatsApp group has 1,009 members.”
As the government faced criticism for failing to reach the disaster area in time, other groups also launched far-reaching aid operations.
The Diyarbakir City Protection and Solidarity Platform, a collection of civil society groups ranging from the city’s bar association to trade unions that was formed two months ago, is running its operation from the offices of the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
“The earthquake happened at 4.17 in the morning and by five o’clock we started work for food distribution, shelters, heating and tents,” said Sirac Celik, a trade union worker and member of the platform’s crisis desk.
“Our first priority was Amed and now we’re directing support to other cities,” he added, using the Kurdish name for Diyarbakir. “We’re focused on places like Malatya, Maras, Hatay and Adiyaman.
We now have thousands of volunteers bringing in supplies and sending them out, working 24/7 every day
Sirac Celik,
trade union worker
“We now have thousands of volunteers bringing in supplies and sending them out, working 24/7 every day.”
On the floor below the crisis centre, where a fog of cigarette smoke hangs over weary workers fuelled by black tea sipped from disposable cups, families have laid out blankets and a few belongings rescued from homes damaged by the quake and considered too dangerous to return to.
Evin Seker, 30, who usually works for a law firm, has been organising food distribution.
“My main duty is to co-ordinate between those making the food and the places where it is needed,” she said from behind an opulent desk normally occupied by the Chamber of Commerce’s chairman.
“Our motivation comes from wanting to support our people and that’s what we’re working for.”
At a distribution centre set up in a building belonging to a teachers’ association, volunteers form human chains to load aid on to lorries too large to enter the narrow street.
“We have up to 150 people working here, loading food, children’s needs, women’s needs, blankets, shoes, clothing, whatever we can,” Kurdish language teacher Fesih Zirek said. “The association has another building that we can’t use because it's not safe so we just use this two-storey building.”
Aziz Ozkan spoke to The National after driving from Ankara to Diyarbakir via Malatya, a city hit heavily by the quake, to drop off supplies. “The roads are very difficult and progress is slow,” he said.
“About 500,000 people are trying to leave Malatya. Normally it would take seven hours between Ankara and Malatya but it took us 13 hours. It’s not just traffic jams but also the snow.”
For the region’s hard-pressed volunteers, an end to their endeavours seems a distant possibility.
“We’re not sure when it’ll be finished,” Mr Celik said. “Besides what we’re doing now, we also have to help those whose buildings are damaged and can’t return home. It will take at least a year.”
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare