Local generosity encouraged to support Turkey and Syria

Carla Lockhart MP • February 21, 2023

Local MP Carla Lockhart has encouraged people across Upper Bann to support humanitarian charities and local fundraising efforts to support those impacted by the devastation in Turkey and Syria following the recent earthquake. The DUP MP met with Ibrahim Kaplan, who owns a business and lives in Portadown and has done for the last 22 years, and who is raising money for his homeland of Turkey.

Carla Lockhart said:

 

“It was deeply moving to meet with Ibrahim and to hear from him the stories of utter devastation he has heard from people in his homeland of Turkey. Whilst we can all watch the images on our televisions, to hear from Ibrahim some personal accounts of the damage and destruction caused made it very real.

 

Thousands of lives have been lost, and for survivors of the quake the outlook for the future is so bleak. They have lost everything, and the humanitarian effort to provide support is key to their futures.

 

Obviously we have long established organisation raising funds such as the Red Cross, Christian Aid, Unicef, but Ibrahim is also fundraising through GoFundMe. A link to his page can be found on my Facebook. Whilst I know households here are facing financial pressures, I know any sum given will help make a difference to those who have been left with nothing.

 

I commend Ibrahim, and assure him of the support of the local community.”

Share

By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Carla Lockhart MP has reaffirmed her calls for the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) to continue taking urgent steps to restore public and industry confidence, following a number of deeply concerning and widely reported incidents.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed confirmation of a sharp rise in egg consumption across the UK, but warned that Northern Ireland’s dysfunctional planning system is preventing local producers from capitalising on this growing demand.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed Education Minister Paul Givan MLA’s announcement that the Lurgan College School Enhancement Project will now progress to construction stage, describing it as a major milestone for the school and wider community.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has opened the Hope 4 M.E & Fibro Exhibition at Millennium Court, using the event to highlight the urgent need for greater awareness, improved support and better services for those living with Fibromyalgia, M.E. and Long Covid.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed pupils from Ballydown Primary School, Banbridge, and Clounagh Junior High School to Westminster this week, describing the visit as a fantastic opportunity for young people to experience Parliament first-hand and engage with politics at the heart of government.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has said she voted this week against the Government’s Carry-Over Motion on legacy legislation because she could not support measures which leave those who served in the security forces exposed while terrorists and those who backed them seek to rewrite the past.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has once again shown her support for grassroots community initiatives by taking part in the Waringstown Big Spring Clean-Up, organised by the Well Kept Waringstown group as part of the wider Live Here Love Here campaign.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed the success of another coffee morning hosted by Fibro Friends Banbridge, praising the group’s growing impact in supporting those living with Fibromyalgia and ME.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has praised the tremendous community spirit on display at Ballytyrone Orange Hall after attending its hugely successful Bellybuster Fry fundraiser.
By Carla Lockhart MP April 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed landmark legislation to recognise British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language in law in Northern Ireland, describing it as a major breakthrough for rights, inclusion and accessibility.