An 83-year-old man has been left with nothing but his pet cat after mistakenly attempting to light a wooden stove using gas, and burning his home to the ground.
Ali Mese lost both his house and all his possessions in the blaze, which was put out by firefighters in the country's northern Ordu Province.
In heartbreaking footage captured by Turkish TV news agency TRT DİYANET, Mr Mese can be seen cradling his young feline as the fire service attends to the inferno that engulfed his house.
Mr Mese also owned several other cats, but they all died in the fire.
The pensioner suffered minor burns in the blaze, according to reports, and he is now living with his daughter as he works out how best to piece his life back together.
Upon footage of Mr Mese going public, a crowdfunding page was established that his since accumulated more than $10,000, and the office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has since vowed to look after him.
Newshub.
