On the third anniversary of the victims of the February 6 earthquake: We will not forget

It has been three years since the earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023, was centered in Kahramanmaraş, and affected 11 Turkish provinces. On the third anniversary, silent marches were organized in several cities to commemorate the victims. During the events, issues such as impunity, the housing crisis, and missing children were raised. The Labor and Democratic Forces called for the prosecution of those responsible, saying: “This is not a disaster, but a massacre.”

Antioch

In Antakya, a series of memorial prayers for those who lost their lives in the 2023 earthquake were held in several churches in and around Antakya, including the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul, which was destroyed during the earthquake. The priests, with the blessing of John

Hatay

A memorial service was held at Ugur Mumcu Square (Ugur Mumcu) in Defne, Hatay. The survivors placed candles, pictures of their relatives, and carnations on a banner reading, “We have not forgotten and we will not forget,” while sad music played. Citizens lit fires in the cold weather to continue commemorating the anniversary.

Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) spokeswoman and People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) deputy from Erzurum, Meral Danish Peshtas, said: “04:17 is a moment of confrontation. No matter how much time passes, we must heal our wounds and build our future through solidarity. Our losses are huge. We know that the official numbers are inaccurate. We see Hatay turned into a huge construction site without a normal life, and it does not matter and as much as it is denied, the truth cannot be hidden.”

Sevci Yilmaz, Secretary General of the Public Sector Employees Union (KESK), said, “What happened in 11 provinces was not fate, but rather destruction caused by the contractor system,” pointing to deficiencies in education and health, and calling on officials to “do their duty.”

The Republican People’s Party representative for Hatay state, Nermin Yildirim Kara, described the incident as “the massacre of the century and not a disaster,” stressing that citizens were left under the rubble for several days without rescue, saying: “Not a single person was detained in the buildings in which hundreds of people died.”

Arzu Cerkioglu, head of the Revolutionary Workers’ Union (DISK), added that the disaster continues even after three years, saying: “The disaster of the century is living in container cities, fining those affected, and not holding those responsible accountable.” She stressed that removing the rubble of this regime can only be achieved through solidarity and struggle.

“We will not forget, we will not forgive, and we will not reconcile.”

Turkish Workers’ Party MP Sera Kadgil stressed that the public employees and contractors responsible had not been held accountable, saying: “They brag about handing over the keys, but no houses are opened.”

Labor Party leader Seyyed Aslan called on all segments of society – workers, women, youth and intellectuals – to unite against the imposed policies, adding: “There is a corrupt system, and our pain and anger will not subside unless it is dismantled. We will not forget, forgive or reconcile.”

The real disaster was not the earthquake, but the absence of the state during the disaster, said DDP co-chairman Tuncer Bekirhan, adding: “While people were waiting for days under the rubble, the state was absent. This is not a disaster, but a massacre.” He called for a stronger struggle to expose earthquake crimes and prosecute those responsible, questioning the use of earthquake tax funds.

Malatya

Malatya February 6 Platform organized a memorial ceremony at 04:17 on Tevfik Temeli Street. The banners read: “It is negligence that kills, not the earthquake,” and “There is no reconciliation without accountability.” “Three years have passed, but our pain is still fresh. We are here to commemorate solidarity and not forget it. We cannot bring back those we lost, but our duty is to build a safer city,” said Efrem Jules, a member of the central council of KESK.

Omid (Diyarbakir)

A memorial event was held in front of the ruins of the Suzil Building, at the initiative of the Umid City Protection Platform (Diyarbakir), the Disaster Management and Solidarity Association, and the City Action and Democracy Platform.

Among the participants were members of the platform, representatives of political parties, co-mayors of Umid (Diyarbakir) Metropolitan Municipality and district municipalities, the official spokesperson of the Women’s Council of the Democratic Movement Party, several deputies, including CHP deputy Sezgin Tanrikulu, along with a large crowd of citizens.

During the ceremony, candles were lit and placed at the site of the rubble, and the participants observed a minute of silence for the souls of the victims who lost their lives in the earthquake.

“Hundreds of children are missing”

“We do not know where the earthquake children are in the case known as the Epstein case,” said Helen Boz Arslan, co-chair of the Earthquake and Solidarity Association. “Hundreds of children went missing after the earthquake. To overcome these stages more effectively, a proper recovery process must be implemented, as well as a good preparation stage to prevent future disasters.”

Adlit Kaya, a DDP lawmaker, added: “If we ask what has changed after three years, we see nothing. Justice has not been served, the wounds of survivors have not been healed, and high-risk buildings have not been demolished. Unfortunately, the authorities have left people under the rubble to die of hunger and thirst. The government only proposes Toki housing projects as a profit-based solution, without support or other solutions. People are still living in 20-square-meter containers. We will continue to fight for justice.”

Where are the earthquake taxes?

“We ask: Where are the earthquake taxes? Since 1999, more than $41 billion in taxes have been collected but not spent on earthquakes. If they had been spent, we would not have had such a severe shock,” said Sezgin Tanrikulu, a CHP lawmaker.

Ahmed Baran, spokesman for the Action and Democracy Platform in Umid (Diyarbakir), concluded: “When the earthquake is mentioned in this country, we only see TOKI projects. For example, the results of core samples taken from Diyarbakir Children’s Hospital and Selahattin Ayyubi State Hospital have not been announced for three years. If they were announced, the hospitals would be evacuated and a new cost would appear, which is why they were not announced. We will continue our struggle.”

The celebration concluded with speeches and placing carnations on the ruins.

Adiyaman

The Action and Democracy Platform in Adıyaman organized a torch march. Among the participants were the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) co-chairman, Chidim Kilicgun Ochar, and the Democratic Movement Party (DBP) co-chairman, Tulay Hatem Ogullari, along with many others.

The crowd gathered near the old government hospital and marched carrying a banner that read: “We are in mourning… We will not allow forgetting.” Other banners read: “We are the survivors under the rubble” and “We have not forgotten the February 6 earthquake and will not allow it to be forgotten,” while chanting: “Does anyone hear our voice?” “We feel cold,” and “we neither forget nor forgive.”

The march ended at the clock tower on Ataturk Street, where pictures of earthquake victims were placed on the tower, followed by carnations.

Adana

The Solidarity Association for Earthquake Victims, Labor Forces and Democracy in Adana held a memorial ceremony on the ruins of Alpargun’s apartment in Çukurova district, where 96 people died due to the earthquake. Representatives of political parties and civil society organizations also participated.

During the ceremony, pictures of the victims were raised and candles were lit, while many citizens were unable to hold back their tears. After a minute of silence, carnations were placed at the site.

The victims’ families called on the public to support their ongoing fight for justice, demanded that government officials and contractors be held accountable, and urged attendance at upcoming hearings. They said their pain had not subsided for three years: “We started running in the halls of the court before we could grieve. Our loved ones died under the rubble, and we died alive. For three years, we died every day.”

The families pointed to the April 17 hearing on officials who allowed construction of the building that collapsed in 11 seconds, and urged them not to be left alone. They also indicated that the case file entered the appeal stage before the Regional Court on April 20, expressing their rejection of the request to reduce the contractor’s life sentence.

They added: “Justice must be achieved so that contractors cannot build illegal and unsupervised buildings, and people do not die under the rubble. If justice is achieved, future generations will live in safe buildings.”

Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, who was released on January 5, commemorated the victims, saying: “If the families wish, we can turn this site into a memorial park (Anıt Park).”

The original article was published in Turkish in Gazit Sabru. To read the original article, click here.

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