In the aftermath of last year's Feb. 6 twin earthquake that ravaged southeastern Türkiye, 11-year-old Semih Ege Inci, rescued from the rubble after 155 hours, dreams of spending time with Galatasaray star forward Mauro Icardi at the RAMS Park Stadium.
Caught with his family in Gaziantep's Nurdağı district during the "disaster of the century" quakes, young Inci was extricated from the debris 155 hours later by search and rescue teams from Zeytinburnu and Kaş municipalities, as well as Somalian miners.
Expressing his gratitude for his rescue, the youngster, captured on camera requesting water from the rescue team and answering: "Bring all the ice creams; bring all the drinks. Bring banana-flavored ice cream too," lost his father Halil Ibrahim Inci, mother Seher Inci and 4-year-old sister Elif Ece Inci during the horror.
A dedicated Galatasaray fan, Inci had a video call with Fernando Muslera during his hospitalization.
After a brief period of treatment, Inci, now living in a container in Nurdağı with his uncle Harun Aslan, is a fourth-grade student and entered the semester break with an achievement certificate.
Besides his studies, the young survivor, who has a passion for football, spends most of his time playing the sport with his friends on an empty plot near the container.
'I was very hungry and sleepy'
Inci told Anadolu Agency (AA) that he spent nearly seven days under the rubble.
Recalling the horror leading to his rescue, Inci said: "I was very hungry and constantly sleeping under the debris. Suddenly, I heard a sound, a man came to me. I called out, but could not make any sound. He was so focused. He made a hole somewhere and then called out to me. They gave me a mask to breathe. Then they pulled me out."
After his days in the hospital, Inci stated that he started living with his uncle's family in a container, emphasizing the importance his mother placed on education.
He expressed his love for school, teachers and doing his homework on time, which he learned from his mother.
Revealing his strong academic performance, Inci said: "My grades are excellent; Turkish, math, social studies, science, religious culture and English grades are all 100. That is why I received an achievement certificate in the first semester."
Galatasaray love
Expressing his desire to become a footballer wearing a Galatasaray jersey when he grows up, Semih shared his dream, saying: "In a Galatasaray jersey, I envision walking alongside Icardi. As the match kicks off, 52,000 people will applaud me at Ali Sami Yen Stadium. I will assist him, he will score a goal, and then he will assist me, and I will score a goal. In football, I consider Icardi my idol besides Messi and Ronaldo. Ideally, I would like to meet him in person, side by side. If that is not possible, a video call would be great. An autographed jersey from him would mean a lot. Additionally, witnessing the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby at the stadium is something I truly desire."
Inci's uncle Harun Aslan also expressed his deep affection for Semih, stating that they have had a close relationship since childhood.
Aslan confirmed Semih's good health, saying: "I live with Semih. His father served in Diyarbakır for about four years due to his duty. At that time, Semih was living with us. Since then, he has become accustomed to us. Actually, he grew up in our hands. Now, every day passes with us. Yesterday, we went to Yedi Kuyular Ski Center, and we skied. Sometimes we go to the cinema and sometimes we play football. If fate allows, we are building a new house now. Semih will have his own room in the new house. He wants Icardi posters for his new room. Hopefully, we will move to the new house in two or three months."