Turkish man thanks the people of Scarborough for their 'overwhelming' generosity after losing 14 relatives in devastating quake

Mehmet Kaya, 49, who owns Stop & Shop on Victoria Road, grew up just outside the city of Şanlıurfa, Turkey, less than 100 miles to the east of the earthquake’s epicentre in Gaziantep.

He moved to Scarborough in the year 2000 after another earthquake hit the area where he was living with his Scarborough-born wife, Caroline, killing 31,000 people.

The city is still home to his parents, and his two sisters and their children live just five miles from Şanlıurfa.

When the earthquake hit, both of his sisters were staying at his parents house, visiting for the weekend.

Mr Kaya’s parent’s house survived the earthquake, his sisters’ homes did not.

Mr Kaya said: “That’s how life reacts sometimes, they know how lucky they are.

“Fourteen of my relatives have died and another four have disappeared and we don’t know where they are, whether they are in hospital or if they are dead.

“When you live in a village, everybody knows somebody, it’s not just family members, it’s the people you’ve been brought up with too, the man you said hello to when he’s fetching the papers, so many people are gone.”

“My Sister-in-Law rang, she’s lost 150 people that she knows, next door neighbours, people she went to school with, there are 30,000 people just missing, it’s heartbreaking.”

To help those in his home country Mr Kaya has organised an emergency aid collection in his shop.

His nephew, who runs a business in Beverley, is also collecting and already has a truck full of aid ready to deliver to the troubled region, Mr Mehmet plans to send any items donated with him on a second run.

Mr Kaya said: “We need baby nappies, powdered milk, winter coats for any age and gender, blankets, sleeping bags, sanitary pads, painkillers, cough medicine, that kind of thing.

“People can also donate chisels, hammers and other small tools, maybe even a generator - they’ve got no power.

“If people wish to give money they should do it through the British Red Cross.”

“On Friday I will take what we’ve gathered to Beverley, there’s a lorry waiting for it, then after that we’re going to wait for the rescuers to tell people exactly what they need, but for the moment, we’re collecting anything people want to give.”

Mr Kaya is sorting donations as they arrive, separating adults and children’s coats, medicines, nappies and baby formula into separate boxes, each one labelled in both English and Turkish to help rescuers when the aid arrives.

He said food supplies are okay for now, but his home town is becoming an area for refugees and the sudden increase in population from 3,500 to 20,000 is beginning to put some pressure on supplies.

He said: “Syrian people are coming over the border as well, I don’t care, anyone is welcome.”

Mrs Kaya, works for the Community Nurses Service at Scarborough Hospital, where they have collected a lot of items at their Prospect Road site.

She said: “The response has been overwhelming, people have been so kind, it’s so emotional.”

Mr Kaya said: “I want to say how proud I am of this town and the things they have done already, thank you to everyone on behalf of my people and my country.”

Stop & Shop is open from 9am-9pm seven days a week and donations can be left at any time.