Thursday 9 February 2023

BEVERLEY restaurant owner Ali Tekce has launched an urgent humanitarian appeal to help the people of Turkey, his homeland, devastated by powerful earthquakes. Mr Tekce told Beverley FM that his close family were in the earthquake zone but were safe, but other relatives were still missing.

The earthquakes and aftershocks have destroyed large areas of Turkey and Syria, killing more than 11,000 people; thousands more have been injured and need urgent medical treatment while rescuers desperately try to free many more still trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Yesterday, we told of the appeal launched by Beverley charity Jacob’s Well, that is delivering aid throughout Syria. Now, Mr Tekce (pictured) is helping to organise the East Yorkshire to East Turkey Emergency Earthquake Appeal, calling for donations of blankets, pillows, clothes, coats, sleeping bags, boots, dry food and hygiene products to be dropped off to his Anatolia restaurant, 2 Wednesday Market in Beverley.

He is also appealing for local businesses to offer storage space and packing boxes to help cater for the influx of donated goods. An appeal has also been launched by the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and financial donations can be made to UK aid agencies – including the British Red Cross, Oxfam and ActionAid.

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Some of those attending the public meeting with MP Graham Stuart in protest at the closure of the England Springs railway crossing

BEVERLEY MP Graham Stuart has revealed he plans a follow-up meeting with Network Rail as part of the ongoing campaign against its closure of the England Springs railway crossing between Beverley and Woodmansey.

Mr Stuart told a public meeting that Network Rail, having acknowledged that it has not undertaken a proper consultation as required by its own guidelines for closing level crossings, that it would meet with him again, along with East Riding councillors Kerri Harold and David Elvidge to present options for maintaining the crossing.

He said: “In Friday’s meeting with Network Rail, I was able to make the point that residents have had the rug pulled from under their feet, and I’m looking forward to meeting them again in a few weeks to find out what will be done to put this matter right.

“I’m doing what I can to make sure Network Rail listen to what everyone is saying – which is to allow people to cross this track.”