Sydney man Can Pahali found dead after Turkey earthquake

Family and friends of a Sydney man found dead in Turkey’s earthquake rubble are mourning the loss of a person who “never said anything negative about anyone”.

​Ilyas Pahali​, right, the nephew of missing Sydney man in Turkey Can Pahali​, left, has made a mercy dash to Turkey to try to find his uncle. Pictures: Supplied​

The family of Can Pahali have confirmed their beloved uncle has been found dead in Turkey’s earthquake rubble.

“We have lost my uncle,” Pahali’s niece Katherine Sab told The Daily Telegraph on Thursday morning.

This comes as Ms Sab revealed her brother Ilyas had left Sydney and travelled to Turkey in the hopes of finding their uncle.

“He is going to find him and get some clarity on where he is,” she said, noting she had not heard anything out of Antakya for more than 24 hours.

“I feel so helpless.”

Katherine Sab and her husband pictured with her uncle, Can Pahali (bottom right), who was found dead in Turkey. Picture: Supplied

Ms Sab described feeling like she was living in a “nightmare” she “couldn’t wake up from”.

Members of the Glebe community have sent their condolences to the Pahali family and shared their memories with Mr Pahali following reports of his death.

“A sad update. In recent hours John’s [Can Pahali] body has been recovered from earthquake rubble in Turkiye,” Julie Brackenreg said in the Facebook Glebe community group.

“He has had a wonderful 6 months reuniting with his large family in different areas of his country.

“He is now with his beloved Jesus. God bless you John! We shall miss you so much.”

Another member said Mr Pahali “had a beautiful heart”.

“I’d never heard him say anything negative about anyone,” he said.

“Thankyou for our chats. Learning amazing things from your stories,” another commented.

FAMILY’S DASH TO FIND MISSING SYDNEY MAN

Can Pahali’s family took desperate measures to locate their beloved uncle, with one member travelling overseas to join the search.

Katherine Sab and her family are living in what feels like “a nightmare” they “can’t wake up from,” after losing all contact with their uncle Can Pahali after earthquakes hit Antakya.

“I can’t even describe it,” Ms Sab told The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, struggling to grapple with the possibility her uncle may have not survived.

Ilyas Pahali left Sydney for Turkey to help find his missing uncle after the earthquake. Picture: Supplied

Mr Pahali, who is from Glebe in Sydney’s inner west, was in Turkey visiting his two sisters at the time the deadly 7.5 magnitude quake hit on Monday.

Ms Sab last spoke to her uncle who is “in his mid fifties”, just four hours before the disaster struck Hatay, in the country’s south.

She said her family, including her parents and two brothers, had been told to simply sit and wait, after all communication to the capital city was cut off.

“I feel so helpless,” she said.

“It’s just shocking.”

Heartbreaking scenes from Turkey, Syria quake

VIEW GALLERY

Ms Sab revealed her brother, Ilyas Pahali had left for Abu Dhabi in the hopes of reaching Turkey, to find his uncle himself.

“He is going to find him and get some clarity on where he is,” she said.

“We are very disappointed with DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). We need more help from them, instead of just being told to wait.

“He is an Australian citizen, they should be helping him. They aren’t helping their only citizen lost in a catastrophic earthquake.

Smoke billows from the scene of a collapsed buildings in Hatay, Turkey. Picture: Burak Kara/Getty Images

“The consulate has told us they will contact Antakya but that is it.

“The only information I am receiving is from people on social media but you can’t be sure if that is correct.

“The Red Cross are being very helpful.”

NARROW ESCAPE

Meanwhile, Sydney man Ozgur Sefkatli returned from Turkey just two days before the first earthquake hit the country’s south east.

The co-owner of Malika Bakehouse in Botany was visiting his parents living in Turkey and planned to go back this week.

Mr Sefkatli said luckily, his parents had survived the disaster although were still waiting in fear of being hit by the earthquakes again.

Ozgur Sefkatli, co owner of Malika Bakehouse, in Botany on Wednesday. He returned from Turkey just two days before the earthquake hit. Family in Turkey are safe, so far, he said. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“This is one of the biggest disasters we have been dealing with in Turkey, biggest in probably the last five, six hundred years. Not even our grandparents haven’t seen a major loss like this in the past,’ he said.

“It is absolutely heartbreaking.

“We have some friends there too and some of them are still not responding. Some of them have been saved by their neighbours, it is a real tragedy there right now and there aren’t enough people to help them.

‘NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO HELP’

The baker said his family had told him over the phone there were hundreds of people still alive but waiting to be rescued but there is “not enough people to help them and get them outside of the ruins.”

“The earthquakes destroyed the roads. Cars, trucks and buses cannot go through,” he said.

“This is a humanitarian crisis.

Mr Sefkatli said he was particularly worried for people living in villages outside of the cities as they were not being checked on.

“No one is going there, no one knows what’s going on,” he said.

“They’re scared, everyone is frightened right now, the country is not doing anything, restaurants are closed, nothing is happening, everyone is waiting.

“It’s very bad right now, I don’t think anyone has seen anything like this in the past, it’s massive. ”

On Wednesday afternoon Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the government would send a team of Australians to Turkey to assist search, rescue and clean up crews.

Australia will deploy an urban search and rescue team of up to 72 people to Türkiye to assist local authorities, with the aim to have boots on the ground by the end of the week.

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) February 8, 2023

“Australia will deploy an urban search and rescue team of up to 72 people to Türkiye to assist local authorities, with the aim to have boots on the ground by the end of the week,” the PM said.

The Government announced on Tuesday it would provide an additional $10 million in humanitarian assistance to those affected, through Red Cross and Red Crescent partners and through humanitarian agencies.

“Can I extend Australia’s deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and communities that have lost loved ones,” Mr Albanese said earlier in the week.

“Australia’s assistance will target those in greatest need.”