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 May 13, 2026
Carla Lockhart MP has called for urgent clarity and action from the Stormont Executive over the future of forestry support schemes, warning that unnecessary delays and post-Brexit trading barriers are undermining efforts to expand native woodland planting across Northern Ireland.
By Carla Lockhart MP May 13, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has responded to the Government’s proposed legislative programme outlined in the King’s Speech, describing it as “underwhelming, tone deaf and disconnected from the concerns of ordinary people across the United Kingdom.”
By Carla Lockhart MP May 12, 2026
DUP Agriculture spokesperson, Carla Lockhart MP, has hit out a PETA billboard erected in Lisburn ahead of this week’s Balmoral Show, describing it as another deeply misleading and insulting attack on Northern Ireland’s farming community.
By Carla Lockhart MP May 7, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed news that wool prices have hit a 10-year high.
By Carla Lockhart MP May 7, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has questioned the timing and motive of the NAP (2019) review carried out by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), warning that it risks ‘stoking the fire’ rather than delivering meaningful progress.
By Carla Lockhart MP May 6, 2026
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart, has praised the continued success of her monthly advice clinics across the constituency and encouraged local people to continue reaching out for support on the issues affecting them.
By Carla Lockhart MP May 5, 2026
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart, has warned that domiciliary care services across Northern Ireland have reached crisis point, with the situation in the Southern Trust area highlighting the growing pressure on the entire system.
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.