Turkish student recounts 72-hour journey to flee war in Ukraine

By Yavuz Emrah Sever

BILECIK, Turkiye (AA) – A Turkish university student in Ukraine, one of those evacuated through efforts of Turkiye's Foreign Ministry, recalled his escape from the war-torn country.

Burak Ozek told Anadolu Agency that he was evacuated following a 72-hour-long bus journey via Romania and Bulgaria and has arrived at his family home in Turkiye’s northwestern Bilecik province.

Ozek (19) is a student at the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute based in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv province, where on Feb. 24 at least eight civilians, including two children, were killed in Russian airstrikes.

During the first days of the war, Ozek used his mobile phone to share with the world what has been going on around him, such as bombings, rising flames, or metro stations that people use as shelters.

Ozek, who has lived in Ukraine for the last six months, said bombs fell near the area where he lived in. “The planes were flying very low.”

He and his four friends slept in the corridor of the house for two days, he recalled. “We put a bed in the hallway and slept there.”

They later stayed at a shelter for another two days, he explained, adding that it was “awful.”

He also said a missile fell on the subway stop opposite his house.

Over 2,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its attacks on Feb. 24, according to Ukrainian authorities.

As the war entered its eighth day on Thursday, the UN refugee agency said some 1 million have been forced to flee from Ukraine to neighboring countries.

- 'We had our home and school there. Everything is gone'

Noting that they constantly called Turkiye's Foreign Ministry and waited for evacuation, Ozek said that following their arrival in Turkiye, he spoke with the landlord in Ukraine and heard that windows of his home were broken.

“We had our home and school there. Everything is gone, we are so upset,” he said.

He also recalled how ATMs were not working or it was impossible to shop from supermarkets.

“We had a few supplies, we used them. Other people have no supplies. The markets are completely empty. We couldn't do anything,” he added.

Noting that most of his staff remained in Ukraine, Ozek said: “People are crying. There are civilians who have died. Children and people are dying. Houses were bombed. Everything is gone.”

His father Kemal Ozek also expressed his fear as the war began in Ukraine. “My son has been on the road for about three-four days," he said, adding: Thankfully, our country (Turkiye) sent a bus (for evacuation).”