Imagine waking up in the middle of the night by destruction equal to 400 Hiroshima bombs in 43 seconds. That's how Psychiatry Prof. Vamik Volkan described the earthquake that hit Turkey last month. Then imagine having to leave your family in Turkey two weeks later to return to the University for the fall semester.
"This was the major natural disaster of the century," Volkan said.
For the University's 68 Turkish students, this nightmare was their reality as they combined returning to school and dealing with the shock and tragedy that ensued after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake shattered the country.
Third-year College student Aycan Demirhan said she had a difficult time deciding whether or not to return to Charlottesville after the earthquake.
Demirhan was at her family's second-floor apartment in Istanbul when the earthquake hit Aug. 17 at 3 a.m. Although Demirhan said the center of the earthquake, Izmit, was about 90 miles east of where she was living, she could still feel the tremors.
"You could definitely feel it," she said.
She added that three sections of Istanbul were devastated by the earthquake, and although she is grateful that her neighborhood wasn't ruined, one of her uncles in Izmit lost his home.
"I don't think any life will come back to that town for a very long time," Demirhan said.
Thousands of people in her town, including herself, slept outside for the next five days, she said.
"Whenever there's an aftershock you feel it more when you're in the house," she added. "Being outside, away from the building, made us feel safer."
Even though her home wasn't directly affected, Demirhan said that it was difficult for her to leave her family to return to Charlottesville. At first, she said she didn't want to come back at all. In the end, her parents convinced her to continue her education.
"I changed my mind several times," she added. "This was a decision my parents made for me. I just wanted to make sure everyone I love was okay."
Demirhan was scheduled to return for residence staff orientation Aug. 18, the day after the earthquake, but she postponed her flight.
"It really cost me being on staff, but I didn't really care about it," she said. "I just wanted to be with my family. You go through so many emotional ups and downs and you decide so many things."
She finally returned to Virginia Sept. 2. Although it was difficult for her to leave her family, she said she was glad she came with her younger sister, Aylin, a second-year College student.
"It probably did make it easier to come back to Charlottesville because we were coming together," she added.
Duygu Ersoy, Turkish Society President and third-year College student, said three first-year students postponed their enrollment until next semester so they could stay with their families in Turkey.
Volkan was in Cyprus when the earthquake hit, but he had been in Istanbul three days earlier. Two weeks later he returned to Istanbul and stayed in a 13th floor hotel room with his wife.
"My wife and I went to sleep and at 3 a.m. I woke up," he said.
He added that he was confused as to why he couldn't sleep. Only then did he remember that the earthquake had occurred at 3 a.m. two weeks earlier.
"Imagine those people who were affected," Volkan said.
He said that Turkey is still experiencing over 4,000 aftershocks from the earthquake, which can be felt from as far away as Cyprus.
"Each time we had an aftershock it was a very eerie feeling," he added.
Yet the aftershocks are not the only reminders of the tragedy.
"You lose your trust in ordinary things," Volkan said.
But some said there was no need for the victims to lose their trust in humanity, though, in light of the aid from the international community.
"So many people from different countries came to help us," Demirhan said.
But even with outside help, Turkey is far from a complete recovery.
Volkan said that although Istanbul basically has recovered, the parts of Turkey hardest hit will never be the same.
"In Istanbul only 1,000 people died," he said. "You don't even know that there was an earthquake."
He described the scene as a "tense city, but nothing earth shaking."
For the rest of Turkey, however, there's a different story.
"Fifteen thousand people died and most likely another 15,000 are dead but are not found yet," Volkan said. "Parts of towns are underwater and there are people who will never be found. The biggest industrial section of Turkey was ruined."
The University's Turkish Society now is organizing a relief effort.
Beginning Sept. 20, the Turkish Society will set up stands around Grounds and collect donations from students for those affected by the quake.
"We will donate this money to the Red Cross and through the Red Cross this money will go to Turkey for earthquake victims," Ersoy said.
Within two weeks, Ersoy said she hopes to distribute flyers throughout the University and Charlottesville to advertise the semester-long fundraising effort.
Demirhan said that because international calls from Turkey are now free, she has spoken with her family three or four times since arriving in Charlottesville.
"I am glad I came here, this is good for my future," she said. "I would love to be with my parents, but there's not much you can do besides just supporting them morally and emotionally."
And although she is continuing with her life, Demirhan is still affected by the tragedy.
"I will always be scared of another earthquake," she said. "Wherever I live."
But she added that, in some ways, the return to routine after a tragedy can be just as disturbing.
"It's scarier than another earthquake how fast life just resumes and goes on," Demirhan said.
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