18.10.2026 15:11
Eight-month-old baby Zeynep, who was stranded due to flooding in the Sapanca district of Sakarya, was rescued by AFAD teams. The moments when AFAD personnel Murat Ergül, who took the baby in his arms, gently soothed little Zeynep so that her sleep would not be interrupted moved people. Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi, in a post about the rescue moments, said, "Sleep, my daughter Zeynep, we are here."
After the flood that affected Sakarya, AFAD teams sprang into action for 8-month-old baby Zeynep, who was stranded in the Sapanca district. During the baby's rescue, as she was brought to a safe area through the teams' efforts, a striking moment occurred.
AFAD personnel Murat Ergül gently patted baby Zeynep, whom he had taken in his arms, so as not to wake her. This moment amid the difficult rescue operation was announced with a post by Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi.
"SLEEP, MY DAUGHTER ZEYNEP, WE ARE HERE" In a statement on his official social media account, Minister Çiftçi described what happened during the rescue with these words:
"Sleep, my daughter Zeynep, we are here. In the Sapanca district of Sakarya, our 8-month-old baby Zeynep, who was stranded due to the flood, was rescued by our teams. Such a beautiful moment occurred during those difficult times that warmed our hearts. Our AFAD personnel Murat Ergül gently patted baby Zeynep, whom he had taken in his arms, so that her sleep would not be interrupted."
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi "WHILE YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES YET..." Addressing baby Zeynep, Minister Çiftçi drew attention to the dedication of the teams serving in disasters and continued his statement as follows:
"My daughter Zeynep, perhaps you will never remember what happened today, but when you grow up, know that while you did not even know their names yet, they mobilized to protect you. Those hands that rescued you could not bear even to interrupt your sleep. That is how precious you are, my beautiful girl. What makes us who we are is this tenderness of heart that we do not lose even in the most difficult times."
THANKED THE AFAD TEAMS Thanking the personnel involved in the rescue efforts, Çiftçi concluded his statement with the following words:
"First and foremost, my brother Murat, I sincerely congratulate all our heroes who rushed to the aid of our citizens, disregarding their own lives in the most difficult moments of the disaster, and who served with great sacrifice and dedication day and night. May Almighty God protect all our children from every kind of disaster. May He make their fortunes bright and their lives blessed."