By Mehmet Kemal Firik
GAZIMAGUSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) – Northern Cypriots held commemoration ceremonies Tuesday to remember 49 residents who died in the devastating Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes that struck south-central Türkiye and neighboring Syria.
The first ceremony took place at Gazimagusa Cemetery, where the graves of 35 people are located, including members of the male and female volleyball teams at Gazimagusa Turkish Maarif College, teachers and their companions who lost their lives in a hotel that collapsed in the earthquake in the Turkish city of Adiyaman, where they went for a volleyball tournament and who were known as "Champion Angels" in their country.
It was attended by the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, President of the Assembly of the TRNC Zorlu Tore, Prime Minister Unal Ustel, Turkish Ambassador Metin Feyzioglu, relatives of those who lost their lives in the earthquake and citizens.
After speeches, the ceremony ended with the reading of the Muslim holy Quran and prayers.
The second ceremony in Gazimagusa was held at the Rauf Raif Denktas Culture and Congress Palace.
At the ceremony, which began with a moment of silence and the reciting of the national anthem, a screening was presented about the lives of the 49 TRNC citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake.
In his speech, Tatar said they still experience the pain and mourn the loss of the "Champion Angels.”
"We continue to cry for them. All our people are united in this matter," he said.
Emphasizing that they never wanted to experience this pain, he said they watched with admiration the legal struggle of the families for the college students who lost their lives at the Adiyaman Isias Hotel.
Tatar also touched on the ongoing judicial process in Adiyaman.
"We trust justice and believe that the right decision will be made," he said.
Feyzioglu said they have shared the pain of the families who lost their loved ones in the earthquake since the first day.
He emphasized that they owe it to future generations to ensure that an urban transformation is carried out, making Türkiye much stronger under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding they also owe a debt to future generations to ensure justice.
Stressing that time stopped on Feb. 6 with the earthquake, he concluded his speech by saying: "Your pain is our pain, our pain is your pain. May they rest in peace."
In the twin earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaras, 49 TRNC citizens lost their lives, most of them students, with 35 from Adiyaman and 14 from other provinces.
*Writing by Merve Berker