Couple who lost their home in the earthquake built a life renewing nature from the rubble

The earthquakes, which occurred on 6 February 2023 and were centered in Kahramanmaraş, affected a very wide geography, causing the loss of dozens of citizens' lives and significant damage to important structures in Osmaniye province. In this process where the heavy destruction and wounds in the city are trying to be healed, the experience of İrfan Erdem, a CHP former parliamentary candidate and provincial chairman, and his wife Cahide Erdem stands as a hopeful example among human stories. After the great trauma they experienced at the time of the earthquake and the loss of their home, the couple questioned life from the very beginning and, by fighting for a new life intertwined with nature, have virtually been reborn. Their story has gone beyond being just a story of loss to become a powerful portrayal of human will and faith in the healing process following disasters.

In the first moments of the earthquake, the Erdem couple, located on the tenth floor of their apartment on Osmaniye İstasyon Caddesi, carried out an escape face-to-face with death in seconds due to the building's damage and the intensity of the tremors. The couple, who managed to save their lives with difficulty, saw that their building suffered heavy damage and the vehicles they could use remained under the rubble and became completely unusable, creating a deep trauma and loss of security against apartment life in the city center. Following this night where they felt the risk of losing their lives most closely, they decided to distance themselves from the stressful environment created by the city center and search for a safer and more peaceful living area, dedicating themselves to nature and the soil.

To rebuild their lives, the couple settled in a ruined shack in the Akyar location on the Eski Toprakkale road in Osmaniye, between the highway and the railway, making a start from scratch. Despite the modest and difficult conditions of this area at the beginning, they managed to recreate it from scratch with great dedication and effort over a three-year period, even though Cahide Erdem continued her insurance activities from here. By planting trees, creating green spaces, and growing vegetables for their own food needs, they built not just a shelter but also a productive and sustainable living space. Despite the difficult conditions, by utilizing the fertile opportunities offered by the soil, they turned the healing process into an opportunity to integrate with the land, both physically and mentally.

İrfan Erdem, evaluating this major change, sincerely expresses that they initially had difficulty getting used to the cabin life and adapting their lives accustomed to city comfort to this new routine. However, with the passage of time, he states that they discovered the healing power of the soil through their repairs and agricultural activities, and that the efficiency of every product they planted in Osmaniye's fertile lands turned this life into a path of salvation for them. Erdem summarizes the process they experienced with the words 'February 6 was not a disaster for us, but our rebirth,' using a metaphor that completely changed their perspective on life, emphasizing that the tragedy they experienced was actually a new life opportunity offered to them.

Cahide Erdem, who shares her husband's view, states that they have placed a completely natural life and the soil at the center of their lives, and that the difficulties brought by such a decision are insignificant compared to the taste and peace of the products they obtain. Arguing that the satisfaction derived from feeding on the food they produce and living in a peaceful environment cannot be exchanged for any comfort that flexible apartment life can offer, she clearly expresses that there is no place for high-rise apartment flats in their future plans. Cahide Erdem states that she has serious doubts even about the possibility of returning to apartment life, saying that the freedom and peace they have gained prevent them from considering living in permanent housing.