The first year anniversary of the February 6 earthquake, which is described as the disaster of the century where thousands of people lost their lives in Türkiye is upon us.

The Champion Angels who lost their lives in the collapsed Isias Hotel in Adıyaman will be commemorated in Gazimağusa on the first anniversary of the earthquake.

In the first year of the earthquake that left the whole country in mourning, the families who lost their children are still in pain and in mourning. The families have only one request now and that is justice for their children.

35 Turkish Cypriot athletes and teachers, who lost their lives in the collapsed Isias Hotel in Adıyaman, will be commemorated in Gazimağusa the “City of Angels”, on the first anniversary of the earthquake.

Within this framework, a commemoration ceremony will be held tomorrow (February 6) at 10.00 am at the Champion Angels Martyrdom at the Gazimağusa Cemetery.

The 35 Turkish Cypriots who lost their lives in the earthquake will also be commemorated with a ceremony to be held at the Rauf Raif Denktaş Culture and Congress Palace at 11.15 am.

Within the framework of commemoration ceremonies, at 12.15 “balloons for justice” will be released in the front of the Rauf Raif Denktaş Culture and Congress Palace.

Finally, at 15.30, a prayer session will be held for the Champion Angels at Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque.

Founding members of the Champion Angels Association and the fathers of the children who lost their lives at the İsias Hotel in Adıyaman during the February 6 earthquake spoke to the Turkish Agency Cyprus TAK days before the first anniversary of the disaster.

The fathers of the children who lost their lives at the Isias Hotel stated that they have no expectations from life, that they have no plans for themselves and that their only goal now is to fight for justice and to contribute to education and children.

Mehmet Tülek, the father of Asya Tülek, stated that everything was clearly seen when looking at the wreckage of the Isias Hotel and said, “It is very tiring to have to explain something that we see so clearly.”

İhsan Nurluöz, the father of İzcan Nurluöz, and Recep Kılıç, the father of Havin Kılıç, reacted against the absence of the defendants presence in court.

Nurluöz said, “I would have liked them to speak looking at us in the eye, I would have liked to make that eye contact… I would have liked to see them there.”

Stating that they were observing the hearing with different emotions, Kılıç said that he asked the court to enlarge the screen size in order to see the face of Ahmet Bozkurt, the owner and manager of İsias Hotel, during his testimony and that this request was accepted.

Yaşar Kemal Gençalioğlu, the father of Hayal Gençalioğlu, stated that the incident attracted the attention of the Turkish and even foreign public opinion as a result of the unity displayed for the Champion Angels in Cyprus, and that this case would be the most concrete case where “probable intent” could be used.

The case regarding the İsias Hotel in Adıyaman, which collapsed in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes on February 6 and buried a total of 72 people, 35 of whom were Turkish Cypriot athletes and teachers, was held on between January 4-7 and an interim decision was announced.

At the end of the four day hearing at the Adıyaman 3rd High Criminal Court, it was decided that the detention of 5 of the 11 defendants, “Ahmet Bozkurt, Efe Bozkurt, Erdem Yıldız, Halil Bağcı and Mehmet Fatih Bozkurt” should continue, while the status of 6 defendants, “Bilge Açık, Hasan Aslan, Mehmet Göncüoğlu, Seda Zeren, Şule Özbek and Ulviye Bozkurt”, who were released under bail, should continue.

According to the court decision, the next hearing will be held on April 26, 2024.