Following the February 6, 2023, earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Mardin Metropolitan Municipality firefighters were assigned to Nurdağı, where they rescued five people, two cats, and three budgerigars from the debris of the collapsed Akan Apartment in Atatürk Neighborhood on the 129th hour.
While the teams returned the other rescued animals to their owners, firefighter Ali Çakas took responsibility for a cat whose owner could not be found and brought it to Mardin. Naming the cat "Enkaz" (Rubble), Çakas takes it everywhere and cares for it diligently at his home.
Now working at the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Youth and Sports Services Department, Çakas stated that the country is still mourning "the disaster of the century." Recalling the search and rescue operation in Nurdağı, he said:
"The place we were in was deeply sorrowful and heartbreaking. We were trying to reunite the lives we found with their owners. One cat remained alone there. We gave each other energy. I wanted to adopt it, so I brought it to my home in Mardin. Two years have passed, and we are still together. I never expected to spend such a long time with it. We've built an emotional bond. Enkaz has become my companion. Seeing it makes me happy. I take care of it like my own child."
Çakas emphasized that he would never part with the cat, and their days together have been wonderful. "Just like it, I have become more disciplined. We sleep and wake up regularly. I am a person who enjoys solitude, and Enkaz has become my companion in loneliness. I can say, 'I saved Enkaz, and Enkaz saved me.'"
Receiving positive reactions for adopting the cat, Çakas revealed that he has started writing a book about Enkaz to inspire others.
Last year, Çakas was contacted by the relatives of the cat's former owners. After meeting with them, he learned the cat's sorrowful story.
"The family's little daughter found the cat on the street and brought it home. At first, the family did not allow her to keep it, but later they named it 'Çitos.' The girl insisted on keeping it, and eventually, they started caring for it at home. However, during the great disaster, family members lost their lives under the rubble—only the cat survived. When I learned this, I was deeply moved."
