Volkan Demirel, a former Turkey international and the manager of Hatayspor, broke down in tears on social media as he begged people to support his country after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Syria and Turkey on Sunday night.
The devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria overnight destroyed entire neighbourhoods while many families were still asleep, leaving more than 1,300 people dead and countless more hurt.
Sportsmail said in the early hours of Sunday that a tsunami warning was briefly issued by Italian officials, and that the earthquake’s shocks could be felt as far away as Egypt, Lebanon, and the island of Cyprus.
???????????? Ex-Fenerbahçe goalkeeper and current Hatayspor manager Volkan Demirel was in tears on Instagram live.
Türkiye has been hit with a very severe earthquake: 7.8 magnitude, with hundreds sadly confirmed dead. pic.twitter.com/Sr9QqyFI6v
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) February 6, 2023
‘Please, I’m asking you. Please, please, for the love of God, people are dying here. For the love of God…’
Despite his initially cool demeanour, Demirel soon burst into tears as he pleaded for assistance, perfectly portraying the loss and anguish his country is going through in the wake of the earthquake.
Many citizens rushed from their homes to seek refuge in their automobiles as structures started to collapse as at least 40 aftershocks shook the two countries.
The epicentre of the earthquake was located north of Gaziantep, Turkey, which has a population of roughly two million and is located about 60 miles from the Syrian border. Many Syrian refugees have