Tuesday marked the first anniversary of the devastating earthquakes that struck several cities in Turkey and areas of northern Syria on 6 February, leaving a trail of destruction and grief in their wake. As affected communities in Turkey came together to remember and honour those who lost their lives, the message was resoundingly clear: “No forgetting, no reconciliation.”
One year later, at the exact time the first earthquake struck at 4:17 am, commemorative events were held across affected cities, including Hatay, Kahramanmaraş (Mereş), Adıyaman (Semsûr), Malatya (Meletî), Kilis, Osmaniye, Adana, Gaziantep (Dîlok), Diyarbakır (Amed) and Şanlıurfa (Riha). These events were marked by grief, anger and a determination to seek justice.
Silent march in Hatay
In the district of Iskenderun in Hatay, one of the provinces that suffered the most, thousands gathered for a silent march. The solemn procession started from the tent of the earthquake volunteers, carrying torches, to the site of a demolished building. Representatives of various political parties and NGOs joined the march, along with people carrying photographs of their loved ones who died. Candles were lit and toys and carnations were placed at the site of the collapse in a poignant moment of silence.
In Şanlıurfa, the Labour and Democracy Platform organised a memorial in front of a collapsed building. Participants spoke out against the lack of accountability for the disaster and emphasised the refusal to forgive or reconcile with those responsible.
In Kahramanmaraş, citizens also held a solemn march in remembrance. Meanwhile, in Adıyaman, a large crowd gathered to demand the courts hold to account those responsible for the impact scale, and displayed protest banners.
Mourning and solidarity
Across the affected regions, from Adana to Osmaniye, communities came together to commemorate lives lost, reaffirm solidarity, and demand accountability.
Remembrance events were marked by poignant moments of silence, peaceful marches and the release of balloons into the sky, symbolising a collective mourning and a firm refusal to forget or forgive the state negligence which compounded the tragedy of the natural disaster.
As the cities mourned their losses, the message was clear: the struggle for justice and the memory of the lives lost would continue undiminished.
