The Earthquake That Came at Breakfast

On February 6, 2023, at 4:17 in the morning, a 7. 8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria. In the city of Gaziantep, Mehmet Aydin had just risen early to prepare his family's bakery for the morning rush. His neighbor, Hasan, was still asleep two floors above. Both men had lived side by side for twenty years on the same street, sharing tea in the evenings, arguing about football matches.…