Iowans await word from friends in Turkey following earthquake

About 30 Iowans who were in Turkey this past March are hoping to hear fromfriends in Turkey who may have been affected by Tuesday’s earthquake. RuthStarkey of Des Moines was one of the “Friendship Force” members who traveledto Turkey March 16th through the 31st.Starkey and the other Iowa “Friendship Force” travelers stayed with hostfamilies — perhaps in some of the buildings which collapsed during theearthquake.John Schmidt is president of the Des Moines chapter of the Friendship Forceand he traveled to Turkey a year ago for an international Friendship Forceconference.Over seven-thousand people have been killed in the earthquake in Turkey andten-thousand people are still missing.