Rana Özbal, an associate professor of archaeology at Koç University who has been conducting excavations near Hatay for many years, shares how they are supporting the local communities there.
Immediately following the earthquake, to help the people we know through our excavations in Hatay, we started a campaign through gofundme.com. Initially, our aim was to provide relief to Karahüyük, the village closest to our excavation site, but we were able to extend our help to the nearby villages of Suluköy and Uzunkavak. For years, our excavations at Tell Kurdu, in the center of the Amuq Valley, have relied on the help and friendship of local personnel from these villages. Our research at the site began in 1999. Although we conducted excavations in Bursa between 2007 and 2018, we returned to Hatay to address the many remaining questions about the prehistory of this region. We have a special bond with the region and its people. Some of these friendships continue, but others are now memories: Our accountant, our driver and the farmer who has supported us and allowed us to store our excavation equipment in his barn have all perished, together with their families.
While the earthquake caused more damage to the city centers, it is the villages that the survivors flocked to. Village homes, too, have been damaged but the big gardens and fields that surround them have become inundated with disaster relief tents sheltering city survivors. To date, we have been able to supply the inhabitants of Uzunkavak and Karahöyük with 29 tents. We have also provided all three villages with over 2.5 tons of food and close to 4000 liters of drinking water, sourcing them from area merchants. In addition, we have set up a network with a local furniture store to provide credit for families who lost their homes and all their possessions.
Published April 2023
