Famagusta, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots on Friday commemorated the third anniversary of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes which struck southeastern Turkey. The commemorations focused on the deaths of 49 Cypriots, including 35 killed in the collapse of the Isias hotel in Adiyaman.
Deaths and commemorations in Famagusta
A total of 49 Cypriots were among the more than 50,000 people recorded dead as a result of the earthquakes. Of those, 35 Cypriots, including 24 children, were killed when the Isias hotel in the city of Adiyaman collapsed.
The 24 children were members of the Famagusta Turk Maarif Koleji (TMK) school volleyball team, posthumously colloquially known as the Champion Angels, with the day’s focus on Famagusta.
A ceremony was held at the cemetery where the 35 killed in the Isias hotel are buried, with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel among the attendees. Mourners, led by Rusen Karakaya, whose daughter Selin was among the 24 children killed at the Isias hotel, released white balloons into the sky above the cemetery.
Nicosia ceremony for Amac Arnavutoglu
In Nicosia, a ceremony was held at the Turkish Cypriot cemetery to commemorate the third anniversary of the death of Amac Arnavutoglu, who died during the earthquake while in the town of Kirikhan in Hatay province. The ceremony was attended by Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci.
Ustel statement on justice process
Earlier, Ustel released a statement marking the anniversary, saying that “the pain of losing lives in the earthquake … remains in our hearts with the same weight as on the first day, despite the passage of time”.
“Our Champion Angels, teachers, parents, and all the earthquake dead who remained trapped under the rubble of the Isias hotel in Adiyaman, are a test and a symbol of unfulfilled dreams, silenced hopes, and the profound pain that we, as a nation, are experiencing,” he said.
Ustel added that the Cypriots who died at the Isias hotel “will forever live in the memory of the Turkish Cypriot people”. He said, “On the third anniversary of this tragedy, I state once again, clearly and unequivocally: the Isias case is not closed for us. The process of justice is continuing, and we will closely follow the next stage. We are determined to pursue this process to the end to ensure that justice is served fully and completely.”
How do you reflect on the commemorations held for those who died in the February 6, 2023 earthquakes?
