BY RENÉ HOOGSCHAGEN, GIULIA FABRIZI AND YULING CHANG
The UG underestimated the earthquake and the consequences it has for the Turkish and Syrian community at the university, UG president Jouke de Vries said in the university council.
On Wednesday, De Vries attended a spontaneous support meeting regarding the earthquake and its consequences in the Harmonie building. Many people with a Turkish or Syrian background were present.
It was an emotional gathering. Some people cried because they’ve lost family members or friends. Others might not have been directly hit, but are suffering because of the destruction of their homeland. A PhD student of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) said he had to go the toilet to cry when he heard the news about the earthquake.
‘Not enough’
The meeting made De Vries realise ‘that the emotional and personal problems caused by this disaster are much bigger than I had first assumed’. A day later, he said in the university council: ‘We did do something as a board, but based on the meeting I have come to the conclusion that it wasn’t enough.’
The UG is now going to setup a task force to see how the university can offer more and better help. According to De Vries, extra psychological help might be needed, for example. The board president also asked the Ubbo Emmius Fund and the Groningen University Fund whether there are options to set up an emergency fund to contribute financially.
Shameful
Up until now, many Turkish and Syrian students and employees felt abandoned by the UG. Esra Akdogan, who’s doing her PhD at the law faculty, called it ‘shameful’.
The UG’s communication department for example ‘celebrated’ the fact that the uni had reached 50,000 followers on Instagram. There were two posts about Valentine’s Day and a pretty picture of the Reitdiephaven. But nothing about the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Akdogan: We’re counting the dead, you’re counting Instagram followers.’
UG-boss: Emotional and personal problems are much bigger than I assumed
After calling on her faculty (FSE) to create more awareness, PhD student Saniye Kaya received the response from her Graduate School ‘that the university cannot pay attention to every disaster’.
‘You don’t say that to someone in mourning’, says Yasin Koc (lecturer at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences) who had organised Wednesday afternoon’s support meeting. ‘You just don’t do that.’
More proactive
There had been a tweet of college president Jouke de Vries in which he showed his sympathy. But it wasn’t until after Akdogan and others called on the university that a message was posted on the website with a reference to help.
‘But that’s all very general information’, Koc says. ‘The university really should have been more proactive.’ In this case it clearly also involves a different culture, he says. ‘It’s not enough to just tell people: let us know if you need anything.’
For Dutch people, that’s normal, and it’s become normal for him too, he says. ‘But it’s not easy for young people, especially from our culture, to ask for something.’
From Amsterdam to Paris, everything’s destroyed
Turkey is still living with the national trauma of the earthquake in Izmit in 1999, says Akdogan. Back then, 17,000 people died. This time, the dead are already exceeding 40,000 and that number is still rising. Akdogan: ‘Imagine all buildings between Amsterdam and Paris being destroyed, that’s how big the disaster area is.’
Turkey is a collectivist community, says Koc. Even if you’re not from the earthquake zone itself and no one in your immediate vicinity has been victimised, you can still feel tremendous sympathy.
‘On behalf of Turkish students, I can say that the whole community has been affected,’ says law student Tugra Sidar, who also attended the gathering. He is angry that the university has offered so little help.
We were in deep mourning and nobody asked if we were okay
‘It wasn’t easy for us to go on with our lives and get grades. Most of us couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat. Some of us were blessed to have friends that could help, others weren’t.’
‘And that’s why we’re angry,’ Sidar says, ‘because we needed the uni for help. We were in deep mourning and nobody asked if we were okay.’
Memorial service
It would also be a good thing if, in the future, staff are given tools for when something bad happens, says Koc: where they can refer people to and what they can offer students and colleagues. Compassion is often enough, he says. ‘Even saying, I don’t know what to say, but I sympathise with you.’
There will be more gatherings, says Koc, who is happy with the support he’s now getting from the university. For instance, there will be a memorial service in front of the Academy building at 8 p.m. on 22 February. People can bring white, red or black flowers.
Meanwhile, Turkish employees of the UMCG have set up a donation campaign by offering Turkish red lentil soup and bread for the UMCG’s staff restaurant. People can go there on 16 February and 21 February, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will donate 2.50 euros per customer and ask if the customer would like to donate 1 euro or more.
Would you like to do something yourself: you can donate to giro555 .