President Ersin Tatar on Monday signed the condolence book opened at the Turkish Embassy in Lefkoşa for the victims of the earthquake in Türkiye.

President Tatar conveyed his condolences and fortitude on behalf of himself and the citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

“The twin-earthquake disaster, the epicentres of which were in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş, and which affected 10 provinces, has deeply saddened me and the Turkish Cypriot people. Unfortunately, thousands of our brothers and sisters have lost their lives as a result of this disaster. In addition to the deaths of our brothers and sisters in Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Kilis, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Hatay, Şanlıurfa and Malatya provinces, many of our own citizens who were in the areas struck by the earthquake also lost their lives,” Tatar wrote in the special book.

He said that the TRNC, as always, shared the grief and pain of motherland Türkiye as both countries were united by an unbreakable bond.

“As it has always been in history, our motherland Türkiye’s concerns are our concerns, its sadness is our sadness, its joy is our joy, its sorrow is our grief, and its pain is our pain” he stressed.

Tatar also noted that the Turkish Cypriot people who were in full harmony and solidarity with Türkiye had rushed immediately to Türkiye’s assistance in its time of need.

“May God have mercy on our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in this devastating earthquake disaster. I offer my condolences to their families, relatives and the Turkish people, on behalf of myself and the Turkish Cypriot people and wish a speedy recovery to our injured brothers and sisters,” he added.