The Antakya Civilizations Choir gave the first of its two concerts at the Salamis Antique Theatre in Gazimağusa on Wednesday night.

The second concert will take place at the Girne Amphitheatre this evening.

All proceeds from the concert organised under the auspices of the Prime Ministry in cooperation with the Antique Mağusa Foundation and the Academy Art Society will go to the Champion Angels Society.

It was a solemn evening for Gazimağusa and hundreds gathered at the ancient theatre in Salamis to listen to the Antakya Civilisation’s Choir who sung for the memory of the 35 members of the Gazimağusa Türk Maarif College boys and girls volleyball team who perished in the February 6 earthquake in Türkiye.

Speaking at the concert, Gazimağusa MP and head of the Antique Gazimağusa Foundation Resmiye Canaltay thanked the Antakya Civilizations Choir for accepting their invitation.

She said that an earthquake had not taken place in the TRNC but that tragedy had befallen on everyone with the death of Turkish Cypriots who were in areas struck by the earthquake in Türkiye.

Also speaking, the head of the Champion Angel’s Society Ruşen Karakaya said that they will continue to work to keep the memory of their children alive.

She said that their pain and anger for having lost their children grew each passing day.

“Our fight for justice will continue until justice is served to those responsible. İsias is our joint cause,” Karakaya said.

Also speaking, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel vowed to do everything in their power to bring to justice those responsible for the collapse of the İsias Hotel.

“The children we lost in Adıyaman are now everyone’s children. The cause is that of the TRNC. We share the pain of our families and everyone should rest assured we will do everything we can,” he added.

A second concert by the choir will take place at the Girne Amphitheatre tonight at 8pm.