Celestyal Cruises offers relief aid to Turkey following earthquake

Celestyal Cruises has partnered with the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) to help provide relief supplies to Turkey following the devastating earthquake that hit the southern part of the country and parts of northern Syria on February 6.

The 7.8 magnitude quake and the multiple aftershocks that followed left more than one million Turkish residents homeless.

As the country continues to require humanitarian aid to recover from this tragedy, Celestyal has stepped up to the plate providing key supplies to those in need.

Celestyal Cruises offers support

In order to support the country, Celestyal has decided to work alongside the AFAD, which is a governmental disaster management agency established to coordinate post-disaster response and promote cooperation among government agencies.

Together, they have been able to provide blankets and sleeping bags to Turkish residents who have been displaced by the earthquake, transporting the supplies on Celestyal Crystal on its first voyage of the season heading to the port of Kusadasi, Turkey.

Celestyal Cruises CEO Chris Theophilides commented: “Celestyal has been bringing our guests to visit the city of Kusadasi and the magnificent ruins of nearby Ephesus for many years now.

“As a result, we have a strong bond with Turkey and its people, and we were devastated when news broke of the horrific earthquake only a month ago.”

The line’s endeavours to help the country don’t end there, Celestyal promises to donate a part of their revenues coming from shore excursions in Turkey to the relief effort.

Aid on water for Turkey

Celestyal Cruises is one of the few cruise lines to regularly provide aid to Turkey, alongside Miray Cruises, who has transformed its ship, Gemini, into a makeshift shelter on water.

The 400 cabins aboard the ship were issued to those who were pregnant, elderly, disabled, or had young children with them.

Now docked in the port of Iskenderun, Gemini has become a temporary home for over 1,000 survivors who managed to make it out of the rubble.

Other on-water aid has also emerged after the quake, including local ferries that have been providing housing for those affected, and a military ship turned hospital on the coast of Turkey.

Celestyal believes in respecting and helping the communities in the regions they visit, and their Turkish friends are no exception.

Theophilides goes on to comment: “A strong part of Celestyal’s DNA is to be responsible corporate citizens of the places we visit and to support the people who call these places home.

“The least we could do is to lend a helping hand to our Turkish friends in need. We can only hope that our donation of supplies will help with this huge humanitarian effort that is so desperately needed in this part of the world.”