16.10.2026 15:12
In Istanbul, the neighborhood hit hardest by the flood was Ayazağa. The owner of a business located in the area where severe flooding occurred tearfully described the plight they suffered on a Haberler.com live broadcast. The flood victim, who stated that they raised 2 orphans, said, "I lost my spouse 10 years ago. I am resisting alone, but I have never experienced anything this heavy. I lost everything; I don't even have money to take bread home."
In the Ayazağa Neighborhood of Sarıyer, a business owner whose two shops were surrendered to floodwaters said he had lost his only source of livelihood. The flood victim, speaking to Haberler.com reporter Gizem Deniz Özkan, could not hold back his tears as he recounted what he had been through.
“I GOT OUT MYSELF AT THE LAST MOMENT”
The business owner, describing the moments when water suddenly filled the shop, said, “I don’t know who I will talk to. The glass here shattered already. At the last moment, I got out myself. We stayed here, there. After that, we took shelter across the way.”
“THE STREAM TOOK EVERYTHING”
The flood victim, describing that when he came out of the shop the water had risen up to his height, said, “These windows shattered. All of them shattered. Everything... The stream took everything, the cabinets. When I came out of this shop on this side, the water was already up to here. At the last moment, praying and taking the risk, I stepped out in front of the door. Then we were able to cross over to there, to that place. We took shelter in the container there. People before my eyes... I saw people before my eyes.”
“I HAVE NOTHING LEFT”
The business owner, stating that both of his shops had become unusable due to floodwaters, said, “I have nothing left right now. In that shop, in this shop, in both shops. It’s over, I mean I have nothing left, I have nothing left right now. Nothing. Nothing is left.” Pointing also to the shop next door, the flood victim said, “The side there is like this. I don’t know if you filmed it. This place is gone. The side is gone. Nothing is left.”
“I HAVE 200-300 LIRA IN MY POCKET”
The flood victim, saying he did not know how he would make his payments, said, “I have 200-300 lira in my pocket right there. I have a world of payments. No one understands. They all call and write. Everyone says, ‘What do we care? Give us our money.’ I don’t know what to do. I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t even stand on my feet. I can only stay upright with sedatives.”
“I AM RAISING TWO ORPHANS”
The business owner, recounting that he lost his wife 10 years ago and raised his children alone, spoke as follows:
“And I have no income other than this place. I have no income. I am raising two orphans. One of them started university this year. This is our only source of livelihood. I lost my wife ten years ago. I am struggling alone, but I have never experienced anything this heavy. This is very heavy. This is very heavy. I don’t know what I am going to do. I don’t know. Everything of mine is gone.”
“I DON’T EVEN HAVE MONEY TO TAKE BREAD HOME”
The flood victim, stating that he was a heart patient, said, “My everything. I have nothing left. I have nothing left, nothing of mine. Nothing is left. Right now I don’t even have money in my pocket. Everyone has some kind of income. Everyone has money put aside somewhere. They can recover somehow. How will I recover? Right now I don’t even have money to take bread home. This place was all my hope, this place was all my income. I am a heart patient, and I was struggling here for my children with half my life. It’s all over. It’s all over. Over. Everything is over.”
“I’VE BEEN IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM SINCE EVENING”
The business owner, recounting that he went to the hospital after the flood, said, “I’m already sick anyway, and I use a world of medication. I don’t know, my brain has stopped. I’ve been in the emergency room since evening; I was sedated. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.”
“EVEN WHEN I LOST MY WIFE, I DID NOT EXPECT ANYTHING FROM ANYONE”
The flood victim, emphasizing that he had never asked anyone for help throughout his life, said, “Even when I lost my wife, I did not expect anything from anyone. I stood on my own two feet. I never asked anyone for anything. But this is not like any of them. It is not the same. I have nothing left.”