This is what Zekiye Yigitbasi from the province of Hatay, a place she describes as "no longer exists" after the devastation of the powerful earthquakes, says in a live testimony to the Turkish journalist Cuneyt Özdemir.   

All of Turkey is paralyzed with shock.

Many are tormented by the uncertainty of not being able to get hold of relatives.    

Tens of thousands of rescue workers are fighting hard against the weather and the cold to dig out survivors from under piles of concrete and rubble.

International rescue teams are also on the scene. 

"Desperate Cries"

But still, desperate cries are heard that help has not arrived in several places.

Especially from the province of Hatay.

In the provincial capital of Antakya, the disaster agency AFAD's own building, from where aid would otherwise have been coordinated, has been razed to the ground.  

In social media, the hashtag "Hatay is waiting for help" is trending.

In posts on Twitter, people can be seen appealing to the authorities for rescue efforts to specific addresses.   

The anger in Hatay is reminiscent of the reactions after the earthquake outside Istanbul in 1999 when more than 17,000 people lost their lives.

Dissatisfaction with the lack of help then paved the way for the AKP party and Erdogan to come to power.   

We can only guess at the extent of the human tragedy after the current earthquake disaster.

The ground shakes underfoot, literally, for the millions of affected people who live in the area.   

"Critical Stage"

The ongoing rescue work is now at a critical stage.

The focus is above all on saving lives.

In the longer term, large efforts will also be needed to build up society in a region that was already severely affected by social vulnerability.  

It is often said that natural disasters unite, and certainly there are many signs of that.

Thousands of volunteers flock to the region.

Diapers, blankets and medicine are packed in boxes in collections all over the country.

Outside hospitals, queues are ringing with people who want to donate blood.    

But in deeply divided Turkey, it is inevitable that the disaster will also be made a political issue ahead of the expected May 14 election.

The question is whether the election will even be held as planned.

After the earthquakes, a state of emergency prevails.   

If Hatay's anger spreads, it could be a big problem for President Erdogan in any case.