THE UK AMBASSADOR to Turkey has hailed big-hearted Wales football fans who have donated money to support the country’s earthquake victims.
Rob Page’s side’s 2-0 defeat might leave the Wales’ Euro qualification hopes hanging in the balance, but high-flying Welsh diplomat Jill Morris says the visiting Red Wall fans won Turkish hearts and minds.
Jill was born in Chester but brought up in North Wales and attended Monday night’s match at the Samsun stadium on the Black Sea coast.
And she has praised the generosity of Red Wall supporters who have raised £1,000 through fans charity Gôl Cymru! to donate to the Darüşşafaka Earthquake Support campaign.
Over 50,000 people died in February’s devasting natural disaster.
Jill, 55, said: “Sadly, it wasn’t to be our night against Turkey on the pitch, but the Wales supporters have won lots of hearts and minds with their behaviour and kindness.
“I am just back from visiting one of the areas worst affected by the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February and, even four months on, the scale of the devastation is difficult to comprehend.
“The UK has been at the forefront of the humanitarian response committing a £43million package of support to help the 2.4million people now estimated to be living in temporary sites having been displaced by the earthquake catastrophe.
“The generosity of the British people has been phenomenal, and I want to thank Gôl Cymru! and the Welsh fans for their very kind support to Darüşşafaka’s Earthquake Support campaign. It will make a real difference, helping to support children and families in real need.”
Darüşşafaka’s Earthquake Support campaign was established specially to support children that were victims of the earthquake. Darüşşafaka Schools were originally set up in 1873 and provide secondary school education to talented but financially disadvantaged children whose parent has died.
Students receive a high-quality education along with an intensive foreign language curriculum, and grow up as socially and culturally knowledgeable individuals. These schools and opportunities are especially important to children who lost their families and homes in the earthquake.
Elin Thomas, representing Gôl Cymru! said: “It was with a sense of helplessness that we all saw the heart-breaking images of the earthquake.
“Gôl Cymru! is really happy to be able to offer some support to the children affected by this terrible event.
“We hope that some of them can restart their education and move on with their lives at their new schools. Thanks again to all the Cymru fans for making this donation possible.”
Ankara-based Jill and her British Embassy team helped oversee the deployment of 77 search and rescue experts from the UK to help find survivors in the rubble, including five firefighters from Wales.
Jill’s team also helped coordinate the launch of a UK government field hospital in Gaziantep, southern Turkey, which has treated over 20,000 patients.
She added: “The scale of destruction means that many people have been left with literally nothing other than the clothes they were wearing.
“They have lost everything in collapsed houses, if they were lucky to escape with their lives. Shops and markets have been destroyed and people no longer even have kitchens to cook in.
“We are continuing work providing shelter, support for basic items, water sanitation and hygiene and doing everything we can to minimise the spread of disease.
“The scale of the challenge facing us can seem so daunting but the fact that the UK raised over £100million during a cost-of-living crisis shows the British public is right behind this response. We stand in solidarity with the people of Turkey and northern Syria in their hour of need.”
Jill was joined at the game by fellow Welsh diplomat Neale Jones, 60, who was heading up the British Embassy’s consular support for Welsh supporters attending the game against Turkey.
Neale, from Merthyr Tydfill, has had a busy couple of weeks as he also oversaw operations to support Man City fans attending their team’s historic Champions League Final win over Inter Milan in Istanbul earlier this month.
He said: “It was a disappointing result for the team, but I’d like to applaud the Welsh supporters for their behaviour.
“It’s been a hectic month for our consular team to ensure fans have been fully supported. The scenes of celebration after Man City’s Champions League win will live with me forever.”
