As part of his Adıyaman program, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum visited the home of Abdullah Çelik, who lost 9 family members in the February 6 earthquakes and is raising his grandson Yusuf Berk, who was rescued from the rubble, on his own.
Meeting with the grandfather and grandson, who moved into housing built by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change in İndere, Adıyaman after the earthquake, Kurum played with Yusuf Berk and gave him the gifts he brought.
Lost 9 relatives, clung to his grandson
In the February 6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Abdullah Çelik lost a total of 9 relatives, including his father, three daughters, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and nephew. His grandson Yusuf Berk, who was only 40 days old at the time, was found alive in his crib in the rubble of the collapsed building. Now 3.5 years old, Yusuf Berk is being raised by his grandfather Abdullah Çelik.
'Thank goodness he has his grandfather, thank goodness he has the state'
Speaking with Abdullah Çelik, Minister Kurum conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's greetings and said: 'May Allah grant you a pleasant stay. Our President sends his best wishes. You have been through difficult times. May Allah bless you for taking care of Yusuf. At least he received a father's love from you. Thank goodness he has his grandfather, thank goodness he has the state.'
Abdullah Çelik said, 'Thanks to you. May Allah protect the state. Our state takes good care of those like Yusuf. When the state is strong, everything is possible.'
'Is it too much that I have taken care of one Yusuf?' In response to Minister Kurum's words, 'May Allah bless you for taking care of Yusuf,' Abdullah Çelik said, 'You are taking care of the state. What is my caring for one Yusuf compared to that?'
Kurum stated that the state will always continue to stand by its citizens, saying, 'May you be at peace and happy. May our Yusufs smile again. Thank God, our children are now playing happily in the parks. This is our greatest honor. Brother Abdullah has been both a father and mother to Yusuf. We have lived through difficult days. We will support each other and overcome this together.'
'We kept our promise'
Speaking about the reconstruction efforts in Adıyaman, Minister Kurum said, 'We made a promise: we said we would rebuild Adıyaman, making it more beautiful, cleaner, and greener than before. Thank God, today we are seeing this.' Abdullah Çelik expressed how he felt after moving into their new home, saying, 'When these houses were built and the state stood by us, we found some solace.'
After the visit, Minister Kurum also met with shopkeepers and citizens in Adıyaman City Square. Thank goodness Yusuf has his grandfather, thank goodness he has the state. Adıyaman - İndere pic.twitter.com/we06uHEadU - Murat KURUM (@murat_kurum) July 4, 2026.
