In the face of adversity, the best of humanity shines bright.
Turkey and Syria are still reeling from the effects of the mega-earthquake that disrupted their lives and caused tens of thousands of deaths when another aftershock made things more difficult.
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Through these times, men and women, regardless of creed or race, come together to serve their fellow men.
And through the dust and the rubble, they also shared their hearts with animals.
Rescue teams work day and night to uncover survivors under concrete rubbles.
They pulled out parents, teenagers, children, and even babies from a nightmare of darkness.
Through their efforts, they also saved countless animals that deserve our care as much as anyone.
In one video, Turkish firefighter Ali Cakas emerged from the site with a scared cat in his arms.
The black and white cat was matted with dirt but was otherwise unharmed.
Cakas and his team named the cat Enkaz.
While the cat’s name meant “debris” in Turkish which can’t be off-putting for some, Cakas and his team wanted to raise Enkaz as a beacon of hope – that through the grief and destruction, there were still lives that could be saved.
In a photo that quickly circulated on social media, Enkaz can be seen posing with his savior.
He stood stoically on the firefighter’s shoulder while Cakas smiled in pride.
Enkaz’s first moments after being saved became viral too.
The video has been viewed more than 10 million times on Twitter.
People all over the world were appreciative of Cakas’ efforts of not leaving anyone, man or animal, behind.
However, with the fortunate events surrounding Enkaz’s rescue, it became clear that his previous owner perished in the disaster.
With no one else claiming ownership of Enkaz, Cakas decided to take the cat with him.
Enkaz quickly adjusted for Cakas. Cakas brought him to his home in Mardin, a couple of hundred miles from Nurdagi where the cat was rescued.
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Enkaz is now enjoying a warm place to sleep and full meals to eat.
To thank people who have followed the cat’s story thus far and to keep them updated, Cakas made an Instagram account for Enkaz.
Cakas also shared the circumstances that led him to Enkaz.
He is part of the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department. His team was sent to Nurdagi within hours of the earthquake.
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They filled out five people from the Akan apartment block.
They also saved some birds and another cat, who they eventually reunited with its owner.
The disaster left 1.5 million people homeless.
Survivors of the disaster have little access to shelter and sanitation.
The Turkish government is now cracking down on construction malpractices that exacerbated the situation.
Nearly 200 people have been arrested.
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In the midst of reeling from the disaster, discontent has become widespread in the country, where people began calling for the government’s resignation.
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Turkey will hold their presidential and parliamentary elections this coming June.
Watch how a firefighter and a cat became inseparable after a daring rescue.
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