President Ersin Tatar and First Lady Sibel Tatar visit the graves of the Champion Angels volleyball team students, parents and teachers
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President Ersin Tatar and First Lady Sibel Tatar visited the graves of the Champion Angels volleyball team students, parents and teachers who died when the Isias hotel building collapsed in the February 6, 2023 devastating earthquakes in Türkiye.
Flowers were placed on the graves and prayers were recited, and condolences were expressed to the bereaved families.
The ceremony at the Champion Angels Martyrs' Cemetery in Gazimağusa was followed by commemoration events that were also held in other regions of the TRNC.
The President and First Lady also visited Perihan Çetiner's funeral at Atlılar Cemetery at 2.45pm, the graves of Bedriye Yeniçeri and Ecem Yeniçeri at the Dörtyol Cemetery at 3pm, followed by visits to İbrahim Yakula's graves at the Vadili Cemetery at 4.30pm, and the graves of Kaan Selim İş at Ulukışla Cemetery at 5pm.
In his speech during the visits, President Tatar stated that 1 year has passed since the earthquake in which 49 TRNC citizens and more than 53 thousand people lost their lives, and that the pain is great and has not subsided yet.
President Tatar stated that the TRNC will never forget the Champion Angels – the volleyball team of Türk Maarif College in Gazimağusa who were in Türkiye for a volleyball tournament at the time of the devastating earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye exactly a year ago. The students, some parents and teachers were staying at the Isias hotel in Adıyaman on February 6, 2023, when the earthquakes occurred. The hotel building collapsed resulting in the deaths of 72 people in total.
Stating that the “tragic loss of life of our children, parents and teachers has caused great pain to the bereaved families and loved ones,” President Tatar stated that “the TRNC continues to mourn the loss of so many lives of our Champion Angels”. The President added that the Turkish Cypriot People, who continue to face inhumane embargoes and isolation, have united and have faith in the independent justice system of Türkiye as the Isias hotel legal case continues.
President Tatar reiterated his condolences to the families of the Champion Angels, as well as to the entire Turkish nation who are mourning the passing of tens of thousands of people who died in the earthquake exactly a year ago, which has fallen on the holy occasion of Miraj Kandili (Isra' and Mi'raj).