Deputy Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Fazilet Özdenefe is conducting visits to the provinces in Türkiye where Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) citizens lost their lives in the earthquake disaster that occurred in Türkiye on February 6th.
Özdenefe who visited Hatay on Thursday moved on to Adıyaman on Friday where she visited the site of the İsias Hotel which claimed the lives of the 35-member secondary school volleyball team from Gazimağusa.
She was accompanied by the Turkish Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Gülizar Biçer Karaca and Adıyaman MP Abdurrahman Tutdere.
It was a heart wrenching day for the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Fazilet Özdenefe who visited the site where the İsias Hotel once stood.
The İsias Hotel in Adıyaman, one of the hardest hit areas during the February 6 earthquake, had collapsed completely, resulting in the death of 35 members of the Champion Angels Volleyball Team which were in Türkiye to take part in the regional championships tournament.
Özdenefe who left carnations at the site, issued a short statement to the press.
Stating that the she was in Adıyaman for a second time after the devastating earthquake, the Deputy TRNC Parliamentary Speaker offered her condolences to those who lost their lives in the disaster.
Repeating her earlier remarks in Hatay, Özdenefe said that those responsible for the hotel’s construction and of violating building codes should be swiftly brought to justice.
Studies carried out on rubble have revealed that the quality of the concrete of the building was poor and there are allegations that there were a number of building code violations at the hotel.
As part of her contacts, Özdenefe also visited the Adıyaman Governor’s office, the Adıyaman Bar Association and the Turkish Chief Prosecutor’s Office.
During her visits, Özdenefe mentioned that she was informed about the preparation of indictments following the report from the Istanbul Technical University and the subsequent report from the Karadeniz Technical University.
Özdenefe also visited the Gölbaşı Municipality and Medical Association in Adıyaman.
Earlier on Thursday, the Deputy Parliamentary Speaker had come together with earthquake survivors at the Tayfur Sökmen Temporary Accommodation Centre in Hatay.
She also met with the Mayor of the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Lütfü Savaş, Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor Ahmet Çelikkol, and Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı, receiving information about the investigations conducted regarding the accommodation facilities in Hatay where TRNC citizens also lost their lives.
During the meetings held, Özdenefe stated that from the first day of the earthquake, the TRNC teams had rushed to the aid of their brothers and sisters in Türkiye, stressing that the earthquake and the losses suffered had become one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the Turkish Cypriot people.
“We will not forget February 6th,” she said, adding that it was important to take necessary precautions to prevent future tragedies and disasters.
“One of the most important reasons for our presence here is to ensure that those responsible for turning this natural disaster into a colossal catastrophe receive the punishment they deserve. The judicial authorities of the Republic of Türkiye and the TRNC authorities are conducting very serious and sincere efforts in this regard. We will definitely ensure that justice is served,” she said.