Final funerals held for Turkish Cypriots killed in earthquake

All the Turkish Cypriots who died in the devastating earthquakes in Turkey on Monday have now been returned to the island as the last of the funerals were held on Sunday.

Thirteen funerals were held in Famagusta, Prastio and Ayios Sergios, all for people part of the school group from the Famagusta secondary school who had gone to Adiyaman for a volleyball tournament.

In Famagusta, hundreds gathered at the main mosque in the old town, where three members of the Cavdir family were buried, father Evren, mother Havva, and their daughter Elvin.

Two more members of the group, Osman Centintas and Havin Kilic, were buried in Ayios Sergios, while mother Bedriye and Ecem Yeniceri, were buried in Prastio.

In the afternoon in Famagusta, the funerals of Sahil Ozberkman, Asya Tulek, Izcan Nurluoz, Mustafa Sabanci, and Ali Karasel were held.

In the village of Limnia, the funeral of Perihan Cetiner was held.

Of the volleyball group, there were no survivors, despite Evren being initially pulled out alive, only to succumb to his injuries shortly afterwards in hospital.

Social media in the north has filled with black profile pictures or a cartoon by Alireza Pakdel, which pictures a boy and a girl playing volleyball with a moon and stars.

In a social media post on Sunday President Nicos Anastasiades said: “We reiterate our deep sadness for the loss of our 48 Turkish Cypriot compatriots, among them 24 children, and we express our condolences to the families of the victims, and the Turkish Cypriot community for the devastating loss they have endured.”

Turkish ‘ambassador’ in the north Metin Feyzioglu announced that the ‘government’ had applied for a criminal investigation to be opened into the owners of the Isias Hotel, where the entire volleyball team was found dead.

In previous days, reports had suggested that the hotel was unsafe.

A Cyprus-wide effort is ongoing for collection of aid for the victims of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

On Sunday, the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus (Unficyp) said that they are collecting donations at the Ledra Palace Hotel from 8am until 8pm.