New Cardiff boss Erol Bulut still haunted by Turkish earthquake disaster

New Cardiff manager Erol Bulut says he and his family are still affected by the huge earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey four months ago.

Bulut was manager of Gaziantep until nine days before the destruction there on February 6, but he was still in the Turkish city – just 23 miles from the epicentre – when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit.

“It was four in the morning and we were sleeping, I felt my house shake,” Bulut said of the earthquake which killed over 50,000 in Turkey and left nearly another 10,000 dead in neighbouring Syria.

“My kids still have a thing about that, thinking that it’s shaking and shaking.

“The small villages around Antep (Gaziantep) were totally destroyed. We couldn’t go out.

“We couldn’t drive to Istanbul because the streets were destroyed. We made a plan to get out of there.

“My squad was living on the 20th floor and they were shocked more. I called my squad together and they slept for one night in my house.

“Thank God I arranged a private jet and we left from Antep the next day. An ex team-mate of mine, one from Fenerbahce, he died.

“Also an ex-coach who was also with me, he died, too. It was not easy. If I think about this I don’t feel well. It was not easy for my country.”

One-year deal

Former Turkey Under-21 international Bulut has signed a one-year contract with the option of another two should things go well in Wales.

The 48-year-old has enjoyed success in Turkey by guiding unheralded Yeni Malatyaspor and Alanyaspor into the Europa League.

He also had eight months in charge of Fenerbahce – during which time he signed Germany international Mesut Ozil from Arsenal – but was sacked in March 2021 with the Istanbul-based club third in the Super Lig.

Bulut arrives in the Welsh capital on the back of Cardiff finishing 21st in the Sky Bet Championship and employing three managers – Steve Morison, Mark Hudson and Sabri Lamouchi – during a troubled campaign.

But Bulut, who was approached by Cardiff in 2020 before becoming Fenerbahce manager, said: “I had a conversation with Vincent (Tan, club owner) two weeks ago via a Zoom call.

“Vincent already got promoted two times to the Premier League. Why not a third time? We will make everything possible.

“Last year was not so easy to keep in the league, but we don’t want to be in that position again. So we will have to work for that.”

Cardiff are currently working under a transfer embargo with the EFL as they cannot pay transfer fees for players until May 2024.

The club is challenging the EFL ruling but it is unlikely to be revoked during this summer’s transfer window.

Bulut, who has targeted eight to 10 summer signings and will now run the rule over Cardiff’s out-of-contract players, said: “We have some players in our hand.

“Some players we will have to discuss, I think seven have contracts finished. I have to see the players in training for the first 10 days.

“I think around eight to 10 (signings) can be possible.”