The trial of the 11 people who are held responsible for the deaths of 24 Turkish Cypriot children and 11 of their teachers and coaches when the hotel in which they were staying collapsed resumed on Friday.

The Isias hotel in the Turkish city of Adiyaman collapsed on February 6 last year during the earthquakes which hit the region, killing 35 Turkish Cypriots and 47 others.

The trial is being attended by the families of the 24 children and joined in the court’s viewing gallery by high-profile Turkish Cypriot figures including Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Deputy Prime Minister Fikri Ataoğlu, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Fazilet Özdenefe, Education Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu, main opposition leader Tufan Erhürman, the head of the Cyprus Turkish Bar Association Hasan Esendaglı as well as other officials.

Addressing the press in front of the courtroom on Friday, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said that they were in Adıyaman to pursue justice.

“Today, we are here as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. We have not forgotten our children nor will we allow anyone to forget. We will follow up on this matter until justice is served,” he said.

Expressing confidence in the Turkish judiciary, Prime Minister Üstel said he expected justice to be served soon and that the culprits to receive the necessary punishment.”

He described a technical report prepared by Gazi University which allowed two of the defendants to be released from custody as “incomplete, technically unequipped and poorly prepared.”

Shortly after they arrived at Adıyaman on Thursday, the families were received by the Mayor of Adıyaman Abdurrahman Tutdere who announced that they will be constructing a monument in memory of the children, nicknamed the Champion Angels.

Speaking during the visit, the head of the Champion Angels Association Ruşen Karakaya said that their struggle to find justice for their children will continue to the end and that they hoped that the outcome of the trial will set an example.

Mayor Tutdere for his part once again expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families, stating that they will be working to make sure nothing like this is experienced again.

Tutdere also said that they were prepared to do everything possible to keep the memory of the children alive.