A couple who both survived the devastating 1999 Marmara earthquake have dedicated their lives to helping others through volunteer search and rescue work, transforming personal tragedy into a lifelong commitment to disaster response.
Bülent and Elif Şentürk, both survivors of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Gölcük in the northwestern province of Kocaeli on Aug. 17, 1999, now serve as volunteers with the Search and Rescue Association (AKUT), assisting disaster victims and promoting earthquake preparedness across Türkiye.
Bülent Şentürk was trapped beneath the rubble with his family after their apartment building collapsed during the earthquake.
After being rescued, he helped pull family members from the debris but lost his 10-year-old sister, Meral, along with several relatives. Eleven people living in their building died in the disaster.
"I can never forget what it felt like under the rubble. There were screams, people calling to one another. You desperately use your bare hands to escape," Şentürk said.
Although he eventually rebuilt his life, the experience remained with him. During a commemoration event marking the earthquake's anniversary in 2009, he visited an AKUT information stand and decided to become a volunteer rescuer.
"There were people and rescue teams who saved me after the earthquake. I wanted to be on the side of those who reached out to me. I thought I could help others too, so I joined the team," he said.
His path crossed with fellow earthquake survivor Elif Şentürk, who had also joined AKUT after experiencing the disaster in Gölcük. The pair married in 2014 and now have a son.
Today, the couple volunteers at AKUT's Istanbul branch in Şişli, taking part in search and rescue operations while also educating families about earthquake preparedness.
Bülent Şentürk said he also served in Hatay following the twin earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on Feb. 6, 2023, describing the experience of helping save lives as impossible to put into words.
He stressed that living in an earthquake-prone country requires constant preparedness, urging families to identify emergency gathering areas, secure heavy furniture, prepare emergency kits and practice the "drop, cover and hold on" technique.
Elif Şentürk said sharing the same experience has strengthened their partnership both at home and in the field.
"We both joined for the same reason. If we can make a difference in people's lives, that's the greatest happiness for us," she said.
She also emphasized the importance of teaching children about earthquakes from an early age, saying awareness and preparation can help people respond more effectively when disasters strike.
Their 12-year-old son, Ali Uras, has also learned what to do before, during and after an earthquake and said he has overcome his fear through education and preparedness.