A Turkish businessman living in Glasgow has been left distraught after his hometown was destroyed by a devastating earthquake.
Mehmet Sunna, 44, has been in constant contact with his family in Pazarcik, which has been reduced to rubble following the natural disaster which has killed thousands of people. He is still in disbelief after seeing pictures of the remains of the town he grew up in.
He was busy working on Monday and when he looked at his phone he had over 200 missed calls from family - it was then he knew something truly awful must have happened.
Mehmet told Glasgow Live: "I decided to sleep in my office because I was setting up my showroom. I lay down on the couch and after I got up and checked my phone I had over 200 missed calls. One of my friends' cousins in Glasgow phoned me in a panic.
Read more: Glasgow woman feels 'helpless' as family remain trapped under three collapsed buildings in Turkey
"I asked him if he was ok, he said yes but our hometown is not ok. I asked what he meant and he said there was no home left.
"He asked how I hadn't heard then I realised everyone tried to phone me, from family in Switzerland, Germany, all over. I opened the news and couldn't believe it.
"Pazarcik, where I was born, was destroyed. The tears started to come and my legs started to shake. I'm still in shock, I can't believe what is happening there.
"Half of the town is destroyed. I tried to phone my mum, sister and brother but nobody answered the phone, I didn't know what to do. I called my brothers in London and Switzerland they were panicking. They heard from them."
The businessman, owner of Sunna Salon Furniture, spoke to his family mere hours before homes across the region were levelled and destroyed.
Mehmet's mum was living out of a car with six other members of the family after they escaped the house. His brother was living in a park during Turkey's harsh winter with his wife and children. His siblings and parent are now left with nothing.
The 44-year-old said: "I spoke to my mum, sister and brother the night before. They were all happy and watching TV. My mum said they were all happy, she always said she was thankful to god for a roof over her head, she is happy with small things.
"Now they are not warm and have no food and it's killing me. I'm sitting in my office and I feel ashamed, I can't do anything here. I can't eat, sleep or drink because how can I when I know my family are struggling there.
"The last three days my mum, my sister, her husband, my niece, her husband and their two kids, seven people, were living in one car. They are lucky because they had the car.
"My younger brother, his wife and three kids don't have a car, they made a fire in the park. They stayed in the park for three days with their five-year-old, eight-year-old and 11-year-old. He told me that he didn't have shoes, a jacket, nothing."
Sadly, like many from Turkey, not all of Mehmet's family survived the horrific tragedy.
He said: "My cousin had three kids. Two of them passed away. She held the baby as they ran out of their home but those two didn't make it.
"I can't explain it. Every five minutes I receive news that someone else has passed away, another body has been retrieved. They say around 16,000 people have died but I think that number will reach over 100,000 because all those cities have been destroyed."
Mehmet revealed that he has struggled to speak about the incident that has led to many suffering in his hometown and country.
However, he is now raising funds to ensure that those living in Pazarcik receive the items they so desperately need.
The businessman said: "Three days I've been trying to figure out how to get home.
"But I realised there is no point for me to go there and add more stress. So I'm staying here to collect donations and travel to Istanbul to buy whatever they need. I've made a list of things I need to take.
"They need blankets, jackets, boots, nappies, baby clothes, heaters, so I will buy them myself. I would go through a charity but I don't know if they will help my street, at least if I go I know I'm helping them. The people are suffering."
Mehmet is unsure exactly what he will be met with when he finally returns to the neighbourhood he grew up in.
He said: "I don't know how I'm going to handle it. I can't stop crying at the pictures I've seen already. It's very difficult for us.
"Last year I went home because my mum wasn't well. Now when I go back I won't have any home to go to. We need to be strong so I can back home and help the people. We now need to help each other."
To donate to Mehmet's fundraiser click here
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