Several countries and organisations have offered to help Turkey and Syria by sending rescue workers, equipment and aid following the devastating 7.8-magnitude quake. Celebrity chef Nusr-et Gokce, better known as 'Salt Bae', who hails from Turkey's Pasali has also come forward to help his fellow countrymen affected by the disaster.
The famous restauranteur has arranged for a mobile kitchen to go to the disaster zone and pledged to provide food to at least 5,000 earthquake survivors every day. The 39-year-old chef has described his food drive as his "most important and meaningful service in the world".
In one of the videos shared on Instagram, the mobile kitchen with his name on the side can be seen packing up and heading out from a warehouse. The video was captioned as, ''We started serving hot food to more people, targeting 5,000 people every day.''
Watch the video here:
The video shows chefs preparing bulk meals in large cauldrons and containers. Meanwhile, survivors can be seen queuing in the freezing cold outside the lorry. The video then shows workers serving hot meals to people of all age groups.
While a majority of Instagram users praised Salt Bae, some thought it to be a publicity stunt. Some users criticized him for posting close-up and slo-mo shots of the kitchen. "If you are doing it for advertising, may God not accept it," said one user. However, the post mostly garnered positive reactions from people.
"In times of tragedy, it's the ones who show up and make a difference that truly shines. May God bless and protect our heroes on the frontlines," wrote another user. A third commented, ''Well done, so helpful in this time of need all the people who have nothing nice to say about this, when you are feeding 5000 + hot meals a day in the area and paying for it yourself then you can speak until then shut up." A fourth added, ''This made my heart smile. You are now sprinkling kindness Saltbae.''
Another famous Turkish chef Burak Ozdemir has also deployed mobile kitchens in various parts of Turkey to provide people with hot food.
Meanwhile, the death count from last week's earthquake in Turkey and Syria rose above 35,000 on Monday, as rescue teams started to wind down the search for survivors. The quake ranks as the world's sixth deadliest natural disaster this century.
