Local Turkish barber appeals for emergency supplies

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in his home country of Turkey, a Tullamore-based barber has made an appeal for emergency supplies and is planning to deliver them to the Turkish Embassy in the coming days.

Fatih Kozankaya, who runs Tullamore Turkish Barbers on Patrick Street, issued the appeal on his Facebook page and asked members of the public to consider donating items such as winter clothes, tents, beds, mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets and also boxes of non-perishable foodstuffs.

“I am planning to deliver everything to the Turkish Embassy in Dublin over the coming days, so if anyone has any spare clothes or feels they can help with this appeal in any way, I would be so grateful” he said.

Mr. Kozankaya, who is from the well-known Turkish holiday resort area of Kusadasi, on the western Aegean Coast, has been living in Ireland for the past 14 years. He has spent the last seven years in Tullamore and says he loves the town and its people, who have been very supportive of his business.

“I still have family in Kusadasi which is a long way from the epicentre of the earthquake, so thankfully they are all safe, but the scale of the disaster that has hit the country is hard to imagine” he says “it will have a terrible effect on the whole country.”

Fatih is planning to return to Turkey over the next week to help out with the relief operation and says he will do whatever he can. “The needs are so great that it is hard to know what to do, but I felt I had to do something which I why I put out the Facebook appeal for supplies."

He says those wishing to help with his appeal can drop their donations into his barber shop and he will ensure they are delivered to the Turkish Embassy in the coming days.

“I will travel up to the Embassy today, tomorrow, any day because it is important that everyone does whatever they can to help Turkey at this time” he says “ even if people can only help in a small way it is better than not helping atall.”

The full list of items which Fatih Kozankaya has asked members of the public to donate is as follows:

Winter clothes (adults and kids): coats; jackets; raincoats; boots; sweaters; trousers; gloves; scarves; beanies; socks and underwear.

Other materials: tents; beds; mattresses (for tents); blankets; sleeping bags and vacuum flasks.

Food boxes: non-perishable foodstuffs and canned food; baby food; diapers (nappies); hygiene products and sanitary pads.