Social media users offer aid and share information in disaster-struck Turkey

“The first floor of my house in Istanbul is empty. I’m ready to help anyone with shelter and catering.”

This is just one post shared in a Facebook group offering up a home and food to those affected by the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey on Monday.

Until then, the page was used to advise people on how to make the most of an earthquake detection app. Now, it’s awash with individuals offering aid, shelter and sustenance to the victims of the disaster.

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Thousands of people across Turkey have been left without supplies and humanitarian assistance as harsh weather has prevented aid from reaching the affected areas.

Some civilians are taking matters into their own hands, setting up online groups to spread the word about aid and available shelter, as well as the missing.

This post showing two users offering up their homes was shared in a group with over 5,000 members.

The Facebook page, which was not previously used for aid purposes, has had around 500 new members join over the past week. Its current membership stands at over 5,000.

Others have set up channels specifically for those looking for support following the earthquake.

“No one should sit idly. Maybe we will come to someone’s need, let them know that we are with them. Maybe we will raise their voice,” read one post sharing a Telegram channel set up on Monday which now has over 200 members.

One of the largest channels Sky News found on Telegram has amassed over 4,000 members since it was set up on Monday. In it, tens of thousands of messages have been exchanged by civilians.

The channel is divided into sub-forums for information-sharing in each city affected by the earthquake.

One of the posts shared several times in the forum reads:

“If people are in Diyarbakir, we have a place to stay for 200 people. Everything is free. Contact me.”

“Our hotel rooms, which can house 100 people, are empty. We can provide accommodation, food and cover the cost of heating. Contact me,” read another.

Turkish businesses, including this bus company, have also offered their assistance in the group.

The page’s owner, a 22-year old named Murat, says he has no humanitarian background but thought that the skills he acquired from running large social media channels in the past could be useful.

“This is the real definition of helping people,” he told Sky News.

“People stuck in debris tried to make themselves heard on places like Twitter and Instagram. As a country we are trying to answer their requests for help by information provided through WhatsApp and Telegram groups which are accessible easily and collectively by authorities,” he said.

Local aid organisations are also helping civilians access information online.

This interactive map collated by the organisation Ahbap Derneği charts “Earthquake Safe Zones” which are institutions that have opened their doors free of charge to victims of Monday’s earthquake.

But it’s not just information about aid and shelter that people are sharing on these forums.

Desperate relatives are using the groups to find information about their missing loved ones, sharing digital missing posters complete with names, pictures and addresses.

Sky News has decided not to republish these images out of respect for the families.

The forums, however, are also being used to publish lists which users say include the names and dates of those who have been rescued.

One list detailed the names and ages of 89 people which it says have been taken to Ankara for treatment.

Another message seen in multiple Telegram and WhatsApp groups listed the names of 600 people which it said were being treated in Mersin City Hospital on Turkey’s southern coast.

Sky News has not been able to independently verify the information.

More than 6,300 people are now confirmed to have been killed in Turkey and northern Syria following Monday’s devastating quake.

Rescuers are working tirelessly in both countries to find survivors beneath the rubble, but difficult weather conditions have prevented help from reaching many of those in need.

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