Turkish officials mark 2nd anniversary of 2023 earthquakes

ISTANBUL

Turkish officials on Thursday issued messages honoring and remembering the victims of the devastating Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes that hit the southern part of the country.

"I pray to Almighty Allah for mercy on the 53,537 brothers and sisters we lost," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, marking the second anniversary of the powerful quakes, which killed a total of 53,537 people and injured more than 107,000 others.

Reflecting on the quakes’ aftermath, the president reaffirmed the nation's resolve to rebuild and support the affected areas.

"From day one, we united as a state and a people, saying 'we are one,' and never once withdrew our support from the earthquake-affected regions," he said.

Erdogan emphasized that efforts to restore the affected cities would continue with "unwavering determination, hard work, and resilience" until every citizen has a safe home to return to.

"Not only sadness but also the unshakable solidarity of our nation rose from the rubble,” said first lady Emine Erdogan on social media platform X. “We were filled with hope again with the unity of the century. That day, the compassionate hand of our state reached out and the conscience of our nation mobilized. Although one side of us always remains bitter, we are rebuilding our hearts and rebuilding our cities.”

She continued: “I sincerely believe that our cities, the guarantee of peace and tranquility, will continue to keep our civilization alive as long as the world lasts. I once again remember our citizens we lost in the earthquake with mercy and wish patience and strength to those left behind. We have not forgotten, we will not forget.”

In his message, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said: "In addition to housing and workplaces, our cities, which have been rebuilt with their physical infrastructure and social facilities, are much more resilient to disasters and prepared for the future with roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, city infrastructure, sports facilities, and many more. We are revitalizing our earthquake zone with various measures ranging from the construction of new industrial zones to restoration work and agricultural support, from investment incentives to tax advantages.

“On this occasion, I would like to once again commemorate our citizens who lost their lives in these earthquakes with mercy and offer my condolences to their families, relatives and our beloved nation. May God never let our country suffer such pain again.”

A message from Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry said: “Our Turkish Armed Forces also rushed to the aid of our citizens in those difficult days with all their means. Our soldiers worked day and night to fulfill many tasks such as search and rescue operations, distribution of aid supplies, maintenance of public order, and contribution to health services. Today, our state kept its promise and built hundreds of thousands of houses in the earthquake zone. On the second anniversary of those difficult days, we commemorate the citizens we lost with mercy, and we wholeheartedly greet our citizens who are always with our state.”

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a message saying: "On the second anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes, I commemorate our brothers and sisters who lost their lives with mercy and offer my condolences to their relatives and our nation. Since the first day, we have been working shoulder to shoulder with our nation to heal the wounds and rebuild our cities with all our means.”

On Feb. 6, 2023, magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 Turkish provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.