Hume council will donate $10,000 to the Australian Red Cross to support relief efforts in Turkey and Syria following last week’s devastating earthquake.
The growing death toll of the disaster has now surpassed 33,000 people and it’s expected that figure will continue to rise exponentially.
Hume mayor Joseph Haweil raised a notice of motion at a council meeting on Monday, February 13, expressing council’s solidarity with the municipality’s strong presence of Turkey and Syrian residents.
“I think all of us have watched our TV screens over the last many days with a sense of great sorrow and devastation at what we see,” he said.
“For me, I recall holding my daughter, seeking to get her to bed and seeing an image on the screen of a young girl being pulled from the rubble some days after the earthquakes themselves.
“It strikes you that you want to embrace and hug your child that little bit closer given the terror and devastation.”
Councillor Naim Kurt, who has Turkish heritage but whose family in the country are safe, said “no words can explain the personal hurt and sadness we feel right now, as a community”.
“Hume is home to the largest community of Turkish Australians and one of the largest communities of Syrian Australians, many of whom come from the south-east, where the earthquake struck,” he said.
He acknowledged fundraising and aid efforts happening locally by community groups, businesses and sporting clubs.
“This money is a small gesture of the council’s support to our community at this time, and if we can open up our council facilities as well to support fundraising efforts… I’m happy to support it,” Cr Kurt said.
Councillor Chris Hollow paid tribute to Greenvale grandfather Suat Bayram, who was one of three Australians reported to have been killed in the quake – Cr Hollow knew Mr Bayram personally, having been to school with his daughter and in local running circles.
“To me, Suat was a someone who was a gentle, humble, beautiful human being who was always up for a chat and did this for most of the community, especially around Greenvale,” Cr Hollow said.
“When you look at the Facebook posts and comments written about Suat, everyone across the Greenvale community, and the running community, had nothing but kind words and admiration for him.”
Council will write to both the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Commonwealth of Australia and the Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Melbourne to inform them of the motion and contribution and to offer the council’s “deepest sympathy and solidarity”.
