A Master Chef Responds to the Call of his People in Turkey

On 6 February 2023, at 04:17 TRT (01:17 UTC), an Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. The epicenter was 32 km (20 mi) west-northwest of Gaziantep. The earthquake had a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). It was followed by an Mw 7.7 earthquake at 13:24.This earthquake was centered 95 km (59 mi) to the north-northeast from the first, in Kahramanmaras Province. There was widespread damage and tens of thousands of fatalities. As of this writing, aftershocks continue to befall the said areas, and buildings continue to collapse due to the catastrophic earthquake early in February.

The earthquake in Turkiye and Syria brought out the best in humanity as International responders all helped in the rescue efforts. With thousands of families displaced, if not perished, under the rubble. Food and water are the immediate need of the people. A celebrity chef from Turkiye, a Master Chef, Chef Mehmet Yalçınkaya, acted quickly together with his partner suppliers and other Michelin Star chefs to feed an average of 7,000 people a day in a place called Life Again Restaurant rented by Chef Omuk Akkor for the next six months, primarily serving the Turkish community where quake victims can eat a decent meal amidst the chaos. The Red Crescent group likewise organized their kitchen in Gaziantep with volunteers who continue to prepare meals round the clock to help as many people as possible. Well-known chefs like Rafet Ince, Esen Hunal, Claudio Chinali, and Jose Andres of World Central Kitchen also join them.

Chef Mehmet Yalçınkaya is one of the many talented chefs representing Turkey. He may be strict regarding his culinary standard. He does not tolerate the slightest loss of time, disorder, and lack of discipline in the kitchen. However, this applies only to the kitchen; he is a real Istanbul gentleman in everyday life and loves children and animals very much.

He is a chef in love with his country.