Writer for İstiklal Newspaper and also NP Etiler Medical Center Manager Uğur Canbolat, this week, in his interview series titled Tenha Sohbetler, asked earthquake survivor Specialist Psychologist Necmettin Gürsoy, who previously worked as a psychologist at NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi, how the name Adıyaman transformed into “Acıyaman,” and what emotional states were experienced during this process.
Joys and prides are undoubtedly important and unifying for a nation. However, sorrows bring societies together more.
Five months ago, our country was tested with a severe tremor.
All our citizens launched a mobilization of feelings and competed to heal their wounds.
It showed how pain and sorrow unite, in short, how a nation is formed.
This was essentially an important threshold for how one can be human.
Some tried to alleviate this pain with physical strength, some with financial support, and some with constant prayers.
This empathy continues and will continue.
We will rise again.
We will cling to life again.
Despite all the pain and difficulties…
We wanted to see the situation through the heart of a psychologist who lived through this devastating earthquake, dubbed the catastrophe of the century, from the inside and who worked wholeheartedly to heal those caught in the grip of this pain along with himself.
We wanted to share, through the narration of earthquake survivor Specialist Psychologist Necmettin Gürsoy, how the name Adıyaman transformed into “Acıyaman” and what emotional states were experienced during this process.
If holidays are mostly about sharing sorrows, then this holiday is exactly the day to feel them deeply.
Happy holidays, despite the great sorrow.
How did you experience the earthquake? Who was there? How did you manage? Who remained under the rubble?
-The earthquake caught us in our sleep. February 6th, 04:17 AM. We woke up to an incredible tremor. A relentless tremor. We were residing on the top floor of the building, the fifth floor. My first action was to open the outer door of our home. My daughter was in the living room; I called out to her. My wife had woken up. I remember shouting loudly to go outside. We quickly got ready in the dark. While my wife and daughter continued getting ready, I started looking for a safe place for us. I immediately went up to the terrace floor and checked it. The earthquake was still ongoing. I quickly came back down. The three of us started descending the stairs using the lights of our phones. Our downstairs neighbors (father and son) were sitting opposite each other. When his son's door wouldn't open, he asked me for help. We pushed the door with our shoulders. We couldn't open it. We were injured, so we asked for permission to leave our neighbors. A bookshelf had fallen on my daughter's head. We quickly went downstairs. We couldn't see the outer door. A gap had opened in the wall, and we were able to exit through it. We couldn't really see how we got out in the dark. Our downstairs neighbors had gone out onto their balcony. They asked us for help. Because their outer door wouldn't open either. I told them to jump from the balcony. The height between the balcony and the garden ground was estimated to be one and a half meters. I had actually thought they were our first-floor neighbors. It turned out that the first two floors had collapsed into the basement, and the third floor had descended to the level of the first floor. We didn't realize that. Later, our third-floor neighbors had heeded my warning and jumped from the balcony and were saved. We learned this later. 12 people from our block and 7 people from the adjacent block remained under the rubble, and no one was rescued...
We quickly went to our car, injured. We got into the car and stayed there for a while. We started seeing and hearing what was happening inside the car. Then, our next-door neighbor's villa had minor damage. We moved there and waited for the day to break. Around 09:00 AM, we went to the AFAD field tent, where health workers dressed our wounds and took us to the State Hospital by emergency ambulance. The roads were closed. We had difficulty reaching the hospital.
The State Hospital was packed like Judgment Day, and the inside of the hospital was a bloodbath. After a long struggle for our wounds, we found an emergency doctor, and stitches were applied. These procedures took about three hours. We left the hospital; we didn't have our car. We hitchhiked. A kind citizen, bless him, brought us to our car. We got into our car and searched for the safest place. We came to the tourism and practice hotel within the university campus, which was also very crowded. We struggled to find a room for ourselves. We rested a bit, then at 12:30 PM, we experienced the second earthquake, and we quickly left there too. Then we came to TPAO (Turkish Petroleum Regional Directorate). It was a safe place. Lights, on-duty staff, provision of needs, everything was excellent. We spent three days of the earthquake there. Then, when the roads opened, we came to Ankara as a family. We applied to İbn-i Sina Hastanesi, where the necessary examinations were performed. Our wounds were dressed. We entered the treatment process.
What did you witness during the earthquake?
-Naturally, we witnessed many things during the earthquake. We witnessed people's screams, their cries for help, their helplessness, their frantic running, their bewilderment, and their not knowing what, where, how, or when to do things. We witnessed meaningless behaviors, senseless rushing, disproportionate reactions, and everyone focusing on their own survival.
What emotions do you feel when you remember what you experienced?
-We thought what we experienced wasn't real, that it was a dream. In fact, we believed we reacted normally to such an abnormally massive disaster. Still, we maintained our composure and managed to get out safely. We congratulated and commended ourselves.
At the moment of the earthquake, we could only leave our house in slippers and pajamas. We struggled greatly with this. Could someone perhaps give us a shirt? Also, not having any cash on us was among the biggest difficulties we faced. Because if you want to buy diesel, they won't give it without cash, and you can only get five liters. You want to leave the city, but you can't, the roads are closed...
What was the most challenging experience you had during the earthquake?
-The hospital environment was very challenging for us. It was a very crowded place; people were on the floor, the floor was covered in blood, and medical facilities were inadequate, etc. Secondly, on the second day of the earthquake, we witnessed markets being looted. After two days of hunger, we were able to get the fruit juice and biscuits we needed from the looted markets. We struggled greatly while taking them, we hesitated. We heard that the Governorate had given permission to take essential necessities. This greatly relieved us.
Despite all those difficulties, what experience in the earthquake region helped you recover and gave you strength?
-The entry of aid convoys into the city, the provision of people's needs (food, provisions, etc.). The continuous entry of trucks into the city for days. Associations (NGOs) and philanthropists whose names I didn't know or hear gave us strength and hope. Volunteer organizations, young people providing food tents and meal services in every part of the city...
Are there any changes you observed in yourself after the earthquake?
-I felt a slowdown in myself. I can never know the reason. Besides the material damage left by the earthquake, I believe it has left significant damage in souls, creating an earthquake and traces within the spirit. Its treatment might take years. Especially those who lost their immediate relatives will feel this more...
Where did you go after the earthquake? What did you feel after leaving the region? What did you experience?
-I mentioned that we came to Ankara on the fourth day of the earthquake. We took care of our own health. I cannot recall feeling much. Sharing our experiences with each other, and the people in the market listening to us and empathizing with us while we were shopping, relieved us. They made us feel that we were not alone. One of the market vendors said; for fifteen days, not a leaf stirred here, people didn't go out to eat or shop. We experienced a dimension of what you went through here. For a week, every bite we took stuck in our throats; we had difficulty swallowing, they said.
What plans did you make after the earthquake?
-15 days after the earthquake, I returned to the earthquake region, Adıyaman. In the meantime, our city's name became ‘’Acıyaman‘’ among the public. This name was frequently mentioned in the world of communication and social media. Helplessness and emotionality were at their peak. It was as if we were feeding on sorrow. We fought against this name. We started working to not pity ourselves, to protect our homeland, and to return to normal life, and we struggled quite a bit. Our efforts paid off. At the end of the first month of the earthquake, neighborhood markets were established. People gathered in the markets. This felt very good to us. We revived. The dark clouds over us slowly began to disperse. A glimmer, a light appeared, and we spread it...
Looking back today, what challenged you the most while staying in the earthquake region and providing support there?
-Looking back, what challenged us the most was struggling with the hopelessness and pessimism of the public. I mentioned the name “Acıyaman’’ above. We overcame this, thankfully. The people of Hatay became a role model for us in this regard. They never lost hope on social media from the beginning of the earthquake. We saw and read this in wall writings. “We will return to our Hatay, we will restore it to its former state,’’ etc. gave us great hope.
Furthermore, experiencing the earthquake and then coming to work here was very challenging, I can say. There was an old song lyric. “Everything reminds me of them.’’ We used to think only lovers experienced this. However, in this earthquake, we saw that those living and working in the earthquake region experience this every day and every moment. Because the city's silhouette has been distorted. Everything had turned into rubble and debris. Our lost loved ones, and so many clients and acquaintances, second and third-degree relatives and friends. Every day, earthquake talk, no other topic. You can't ask people how they are doing. Because in response, they say, “I'm not well at all, sir.’’ Naturally, this situation greatly exhausts people and erodes their hope.
How long after were you able to recognize your own psychological needs in the region?
-We were able to recognize our own needs much later. In fact, I became emotional while talking on the phone with a colleague I had previously worked with in Istanbul. I had difficulty expressing myself. My friend had told me to leave the earthquake region and come here. I listened to him and went to Ankara; I went to Afyon. It did me a lot of good.
Who are you in contact with in the earthquake region? How do you evaluate your relationships with those you contact?
-Since I work in a private hospital in the earthquake region, I am within a wide range of groups. We make routine visits to the Psychosocial tents near us. We provide information exchange on all topics. We offer therapy support and refer those with psychiatric conditions to specialists. I witnessed that non-governmental organizations, universities, and charity associations carried out very useful work in terms of psychological support. Their contributions can never be repaid.
How is psychological support provided in the earthquake region?
-In the initial months, being by the side of the earthquake victim, talking with them, and enabling them to express their feelings proved as beneficial as the first water intervention in a fire. Sitting with them for a comfortable therapy session is never possible or appropriate. In my opinion, primarily meeting shelter and food needs is the greatest psychological support. Subsequently, being there for them, sitting and talking with them, and enabling them to narrate what they experienced is the greatest emotional release. We are in the fifth month after the earthquake, and there is still a multitude of people who cannot muster the courage to express their feelings, either in writing or verbally. Especially anxiety disorders and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after the earthquake are among our observations.
Once again, I wish a speedy recovery to our country and the people of the region. I pray for mercy for the deceased and patience for those who remain. Thank you infinitely for giving me this opportunity. Be well, do not be absent.
WHO IS SPEC. PSYCH. NECMETTİN GÜRSOY?
He was born in Adıyaman in 1953. He completed his primary, middle, and high school education in Adıyaman. In 1977, he began his Psychology education at Ankara University. In 1983, he completed his military service as a reserve officer in the Cyprus 1st Army Psychological Warfare Department. In 1984, he started working as a Psychologist in the Psychiatry Department at Ankara Gazi University. In 1991, he transferred to the Police Academy. During this period, he completed his master's degree. In 2002, he began working as a visiting lecturer at Hoca Ahmet Yesevi University. After a long career, he retired voluntarily from Istanbul Adile Sadullah Mermerci Police Vocational School in 2008. After retirement, he worked as a Clinical Psychologist at Üsküdar Üniversitesi from 2008 to 2012. In 2012, he returned to his hometown of Adıyaman. He has been working as a psychologist at Private Adıyaman Park Hospital for ten years.