turkish-greek civic dialogue - AEGEE Europe

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VIDEO DOCUMENTING THE OPERATION OF
AKUT AT THE EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE
During the workshop, the participants were shown a documentary shot in 1999
with AKUT team’s appearances at the Turkish Airport while they were going to
Greece for the search and rescue mission in 1999. The documentary included
scenes from the study on the Factory that demolished in the Earthquake of
Greece, the doctor of AKUT team at work, AKUT team at the Greek Airport.
The documentary also had slide shows for the teams coming from different
countries (from Israel, Turkey, Greece, France) and from different professions
(firemen, mountain search and rescue teams, military members) on the same
debris.
“While we were going on our search and rescue operation at the Vileda Factory
that collapsed during the Earthquake of Greece, the EMAK team was working
in the place where three workers were stuck in the bottom stairs and the AKUT
team was working above the office room where there was a meeting of twelve
administrators. The AKUT team’s work was to search with a special device
named as search cam, which detects people. The work lasted for two and a
half day, because the stairs of the building were very thick due to the hope of
living people, the study had to be operated very carefully to not give harm to
that people.”
“The first Turkish military airplane to land in Greece was the cargo plane that
brought the AKUT team to Athens Airport. This was a very important point
because the first support to AKUT team came from Turkish General Staff and
the assistance came with a military airplane, which was thought as a threat for
Greece before. The punch was turned to be a helping hand. Now the question
is: Which one will have more priority in the future? The punch or the helping
hand?” says Atilla Ulaş.
“We just did our business but meanwhile I think we did greater from what
we think. The wreckage was difficult, the conditions were bad and the region
was difficult and risky. However our team was really good.”
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS OF SOCIOLOGICAL
EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS
PROUDLY PRESENT:
GIVE YOUR HAND,
MY FRIEND!
Rebuilding Communication Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de L’Europe
AIM
Following the earthquakes on 17 August 1999 and 12 November 1999 in
Marmara Region and Düzce in Turkey as well as 9 September 1999 earthquake
in Athens, Greece; Greek and Turkish citizens suffered from the same sorrow
and collaborated for mutual assistance and solidarity. With a view to sustain
this solidarity initiative, we need to organise a series of commemoration and
cooperation activities to bring together citizens of both countries. The project
should play a leading role in preventive measures against natural disasters,
commemorate together the losses of both countries and remove prejudices.
OBJECTIVES
1. To bring two nations together on the dates of two earthquakes.
2. To pioneer the common precaution studies of the natural disasters
3. To provide an environment for the two nations to commemorate
their losses in the earthquakes together.
4. To show that in spite of religion and language differences, the
happiness and sorrows may be the same
5. To make the organisation sustainable