Turkey Reeling from Devastating Earthquake: HasanAbi Rallies Support
Turkey is in shock following a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has claimed the lives of numerous people. HasanAbi, a Turkish-American political commentator, is already mobilizing efforts to provide aid and support for his home country.
Although Hasan was born to Turkish parents in New Jersey, he grew up in Istanbul. Despite now living in Los Angeles, he quickly began organizing fundraising initiatives for charities that can offer assistance to those affected by this tragic natural disaster.
“We are actively working on creating a streamlined process so that foreign donors can easily support @ahbap and numerous other NGOs that provide swift relief in Turkey,” he stated.
Setting up a donation page through softgiving took some time, but Hasan and his team had a clear vision of which charities they wanted to support. In total, their efforts will aid four charities, including Care Turkey and Care Syria, which were also affected by the earthquake.
Having experienced firsthand the devastating impact of earthquakes while living in Istanbul during a 7.6 magnitude event in 1999, Hasan is committed to using his resources to support relief efforts.
“I will do everything I can to help,” he stated.
Hasan is not alone in his desire to assist Turkey and Syria. Trainwrecks, in a tweet, asked for recommendations on legitimate humanitarian organizations to donate to and pledged $150,000 once he identified one.
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Throughout his broadcast today, Hasan has been switching between English and Turkish as he does his best to cover the news. Early on, Hasan confirmed that none of his immediate family members were directly affected by the earthquake.
“Thank you for your well wishes, but I’m fine,” he reassured. “My family is fine. However, things are not fine overall in Turkey.”