HATAY - Ata Durğun, who lives in a bunk bed that he took out of his damaged house and placed in the greenhouse, said: “We do not lose hope. At least we can smell our soil. It turns our greenhouse into our home, but we will not leave our land.”

 

Even though a month has passed since the earthquakes in Maraş that took place on February 6, thousands of citizens still could not reach the tent. Earthquake survivors are struggling to survive either in the barracks they built with their own means or in greenhouses. In Hatay Samandağ, known for its lush and fertile lands, many citizens who could not reach the tents settled in greenhouses. Due to the scorching sun, the earthquake survivors in Samandağ can only use their greenhouses for sleeping in the evening during the day. The "population" changes in greenhouses, some of which are used as "dress rooms" and other parts as "bedrooms". In some greenhouses, only one family remains, while in some greenhouses, the number of families can reach 5.

 

'WE TURN GREENHOUSES INTO OUR HOME BUT WE DON'T LEAVE OUR LAND'

 

Durğun is confident that his destroyed cities will be rebuilt: “Some stones may have been destroyed, different cultural structures may have been destroyed, but I think they can be put back in place. It can regain its former beauty and splendor. I'm sure of that, I'm hopeful. 95 percent of the region has been moved to greenhouses. Families settled in their neighbors' greenhouses. This is very serious solidarity. It can be lived. No matter how heavy the conditions are, we will stay in these shops, on these streets. We turn our greenhouse into our home and live there. But we didn't have a dream or thought to leave our land, and we never will.”