'I'm just really heartbroken': Maritimers struggle with the loss of family in Turkiye

With the official search for survivors all but over in Turkiye and Syria, Halifax restaurant owners Nihal and Muzaffer Deveci are reeling from the loss of their loved ones.

They made many calls to family in Turkiye in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the region on Feb. 6, and the aftershocks that followed.

It was through social media that Nihal learned members of her family were missing.

“Too many family members are lost to this earthquake; my sister-in-law, my sister and niece,” said Nihal.

Nihal asked a friend in Turkiye for help in searching for her family. A day later her friend told her that her sister-in-law and niece had died.

“My sister-in-law and niece stayed under the rubble for four days because no one could help them and they were waiting for help.”

This followed the news that Nihal’s own sister and her daughter were also victims.

“I’m feeling very emotional. I also lost my sister and niece she is still in the hospital,” said Nihal.

She says search teams found them and her niece is in critical condition.

“[My sister and her daughter] were waiting for help. After seven hours they took my niece, nephew and my sister to the hospital but the doctor said my sister’s condition was very serious and the doctor said, ‘it’s too late we can’t do anything.’”

Nihal says it's been difficult to deal with the grief.

“I am feeling so sad because we [couldn’t] support them. I’m just really heartbroken.”

While Muzaffer’s family survived, he said he lost many relatives and friends in the earthquake.

“Some relatives I did not hear from and many of my friends are living on the streets in the cold,” said Muzaffer.

According to the Turkish Society of Nova Scotia, as of now, the 10 cities devastated by the earthquake do not have access to the internet or power.

“There are about 16 million people that are homeless right now,” said Bursu Kaptan, president of the society.

With the amount of loss that the Devecis have experienced since the earthquake, they plan to bring their family members to Canada.

“We want the government of Canada to help us bring our families here and we will support them here,” said Muzaffer.

The Devecis are not alone. Many Turkish families in Canada want to bring their relatives to the country. The Turkish society has started an online campaign to reunite loved ones in Canada. So far, MP Lena Diab has voiced her support.

Family friends of Devecis have started a fundraiser to support their family, with proceeds going directly to Turkiye.