When Irem Gulum heard of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that tore her hometown of Gaziantep, Turkey apart, her first thought was of her parents.
Fortunately, they survived. Their apartment and their valuables did not.
Gulum showed up to her job at Berlins kebab restaurant in Beverly Grove this week feeling utterly despondent, but restaurant owner Matthias Classen had an idea to help.
“She came into work because she doesn’t really have anybody else in L.A., so she hung out with us to have some company and she was just crying and devastated and I felt so helpless with all of this,” said Classen in an interview with the Southern California News Group. “I thought there’s definitely something we could do.”
Irem Gulum, left, with Matthias Classen, the owner of Berlin kebab restaurant in Beverly Hills, launched a GoFundMe to send supplies to earthquake victims including friends and family of Irem in Turkey at Berlins Kebab Restuarant in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 9, 2023. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Classen started a GoFundMe to raise money for Gulum’s family and other victims. He has personally donated $1,000 and vowed to donate all restaurant tips this month to the fund.
Irem Gulum’s parents survived the earthquake but lost their home in Gaziantep, Turkey (Courtesy of Irem Gulum)
The plan is to use that money to purchase items that are in the highest need including generators, tents and personal hygiene items and then ship them to Turkey.
“Money doesn’t really do much for them, since the banks are closed, so we need to find a way to get items that the people really need and ship them out there as quickly as we can,” said Classen.
Gulum’s parents are living in their car in a village outside of Gaziantep with little plan for what comes next.
“They are staying outside in cars because our building is ruined and they need help,” said Gulum, in a video to promote the GoFundMe. “It’s windy, cold, rainy and some areas have flooded.”
Survivors of the recent earthquake use a fire for warmth in a shelter near Gaziantep, Turkey (Photo courtesy of Irem Gulum)
Her parents are too scared to go indoors as they fear another earthquake could strike, she added.
The initial 7.8 Richter earthquake hit in the early hours of Monday, Feb. 6, and has been followed by more than 100 aftershocks. The estimated death toll has risen to 21,000 people across Turkey and Syria.
Informal shelters have cropped up in villages, stadiums and still-standing structures to help shelter the survivors. People are battling the cold winter temperatures and relying on fire for warmth as electric power remains out across most parts of the impacted region. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but hope of pulling more victims from the rubble dissipates by the hour.
Many people, Gulum’s parents included, lost not only their homes but also their life savings.
Due to the high rates of economic instability and inflation in Turkey many people hold their money in gold, silver or other valuables they store in their homes, Classen said. When these homes went down, so did these savings.
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The tragedy in Turkey affected Classen personally, not just because of Gulum, but also because of the time he spent living in Turkey from 2001 to 2003. His restaurant, Berlins, has several Turkish employees and serves many Turkish customers, because its signature doner kebabs are beloved by Germans and Turks alike.
Classen, who originally hails from German, noted that his home country has been quick to respond to the crisis by sending supplies and rescue teams.
“I see a lot of this (action) happening in German,” said Classen. “Here in America I don’t see very much due to it (Turkey) probably being so foreign to Americans.”
Classen hopes the GoFundMe will help raise awareness about the devastation in Turkey and rally Angelenos to the cause. The fundraiser can be found at gofund.me/3e84d231
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