When Emre Guler takes to a Townsville field to kick off his NRL season, his heart will be halfway around the world.
The Canberra prop, deeply proud of his Turkish heritage, hasn’t been spared the pain of the devastating earthquakes that have torn apart his home nation in recent weeks.
A 7.8 magnitude quake hit on February 6 and has killed more than 47,000 people, with 865,000 people now living in tents.
Guler estimates his Sydney-based parents have lost more than 50 friends and family.
Separated from his parents as he prepares for the Raiders’ season in Canberra, the man whose back is adorned with tattoos naming Turkey’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk watches anxiously from a distance.
“That’s my hometown … my immediate family is safe but my parents, they probably lost over 50 of their friends and family,” he told AAP.
“It’s just hard listening to my mum and dad speak about it … they’re hurting and they probably feel a bit helpless.
“They’re on the other side of the world while everyone else is trying to scramble and help people out of the rubble.”
Guler, 25, and entering the final year of his contract, could perhaps be excused for taking his mind off rugby league, but he has caught the eye with a big pre-season at Canberra and looks a chance to jag a starting role for their round-one side.
He started both the Raiders’ trial games at prop, although could even start the opening round at lock to allow star front-rower Joe Tapine return to his preferred position.
But whatever role Guler fills, expect the NRL’s only current Turkish first-grade regular to play with his community on his shoulders.
“The more we can play better it probably helps out the Turkish community and people get behind me, which I really appreciate,” he said.
“It just recycles, it goes back into the community and everyone sort of feeds off that as well.
“But we’re doing as much as we can, fundraisers and charities, sending money personally to family over there as much as we can.
“It’s just something we’re going to have to keep doing all year and for years to come.”
By Alex Mitchell in Canberra
