Barrie man grieves loss of family in devastating Turkish-Syrian earthquake

A Barrie man is heartbroken after losing family in the devastating earthquake that ravaged much of the Turkish-Syrian border earlier this week.

Fettah Aydin said his aunt and her 16-year-old granddaughter were killed and several other family members displaced following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

"The last four, five days, it's been like I've had nothing but heartache," Aydin told CTV News. "I can't breathe properly. It hurts like even when I eat and drink. I feel guilt."

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Aydin joined his Islamic brothers and sisters at the Barrie Mosque on Friday to mourn, pray and raise money for the thousands of survivors in Turkiye and Syria.

The mosque intends to raise money and collect donations every Friday this month in collaboration with the Molana Tariq Jamil (MTJ) Foundation, a non-profit relief organization aimed at helping communities through faith-based action.

"This is the least we could do to help those people in distress," said Yusuf Haroon, Barrie Mosque Noor-Ul-Islam of Ontario President. "It's our gesture towards the suffering of the people."

Haroon said the mosque is working on compiling a list of survivors or dead with links to Simcoe County.

Aydin is the first resident the mosque is aware of to be personally impacted.

"We will be working with him to provide the counselling services he needs," Haroon added. "We are here to support him any way we can."

The MTJ Foundation is also working in collaboration with Islamic Relief Canada to provide aid. 

The group was set up in Turkiye, Syria and the majority of the Middle East before the natural disaster, allowing for quick mobilization.

"It's not as though they're just coming in during this disaster," said Vazir Khan, a director with the MTJ Foundation. "They've got full footing, a full team based in Syria that's been able to come in at a quick call."

Monetary, clothing and medical donations can be brought to the Barrie Mosque every Friday.

The MTJ Foundation will also be collecting donations online.