Ekin-Su Culculoglu thought about adopting little girl, 4, she met in Turkey after earthquake
‘It was traumatizing’: Ekin-Su Culculoglu reveals she thought about adopting a 4-year-old little girl she met in Turkey after a devastating earthquake
Ekin-Su Culculoglu has revealed that she was traumatized by her visit to Turkey after the devastating earthquake and was thinking about adopting a little girl she met.
The former Love Island star, 28, who is of Turkish descent and lived in Istanbul for two years, visited the country in March after the earthquake that killed more than 59,000 people.
Ekin-Su said she met several children on the journey, including some who clung to her and began calling her “mother.”
A young girl begged the star to take her back to the UK after she lost her mother in the earthquake.
Ekin-Su said, “I’d like to take her. It was traumatizing – the whole experience. But once you have one in your house, you want to help them all. I really just want to create awareness. We don’t know how lucky we are to be in the UK.’
Heartbreaking: Ekin-Su Culculoglu has revealed she was traumatized by her visit to Turkey after the devastating earthquake and thought about adopting a little girl she met
Moving: The former Love Island star, 28, who is of Turkish descent and lived in Istanbul for two years, visited the country in March after the earthquake that killed more than 59,000 people
Emotional: Ekin-Su said she met several children during the trip, including some who clung to her and started calling her “mom”
The actress also talked about the traumatic events the young girl experienced during the earthquake.
She said, “She doesn’t remember much about the actual event. It was 4am and all of a sudden it was black, everything was shaking, the walls came down and she was screaming ‘mom, mamma, mamma’ and she doesn’t remember anything else.
“I think she also has a little brother and that’s all, she just wants mommy. Anyone who gives her love clings and cannot let go.
“I think she was about four years old, very young.”
The star also revealed that her family in Turkey is living in fear of another earthquake and some of them have been sleeping outside since the disaster.
She said, “They always live their lives in fear of what will happen next, will we be here, will we be dead. That’s what they worry about every day.
‘My father’s side of the family, they sleep outside every day. They’re too scared to go back in.’
Born in Islington, London, to Turkish parents Sezer and Zekai, Ekin-Su lived in Istanbul while starring in Turkish television shows, before returning to the UK.
Tragedy: A young girl begged the star to take her back to the UK after she lost her mother in the earthquake
Ekin-Su said, “I’d like to take her. It was traumatizing – the whole experience. But once you have one at home, you want to help them all’
History: Ekin-Su was born in Islington, London to Turkish parents Sezer and Zekai and lived in Istanbul while starring in Turkish TV shows, before moving back to the UK
Her parents moved to the UK and she also has a younger brother Arda.
The earthquake was the second strongest ever recorded in the country’s history with a death toll of more than 59,000.
It comes after the reality star praised her boyfriend Davide for offering her emotional support after the earthquake.
Speak against Women’s health magazine, she said, “Davide has been wonderfully supportive of me emotionally. I was with him when we heard it and I just couldn’t comprehend the devastation.
“I’ve been following the news since it hit… I hope to visit the affected area with the Red Cross as soon as it’s safe.”