Turkish Cypriot mother describes desperate attempt to save children

A Turkish Cypriot mother and earthquake survivor, who lost her 11-year-old daughter in the wreckage of the Isias hotel in Turkey, described on Monday the tragedy that befell the school group that had gone there for a volleyball tournament.

Esra Ozberkman, a teacher at the Famagusta secondary school and the mother of one of the Turkish Cypriot victims, had run out of the hotel, when the earthquake happened as she thought everyone was running out, but when she realised that there was no one, she rushed back towards the hotel for the children, only to be hit in the head from a falling object and lost consciousness.

“But it was very bad. Nothing was standing. We couldn’t find our children,” Ozberkman, told Channel 4.

Ozberkman was one of only four survivors to make it out from the group of 35 Turkish Cypriots in Adiyaman.

Her 11-year-old daughter, Sahil, was one of the victims and her youngest daughter.

Ozberkman was in tears as she described the scene she witnessed after trying to run back to the hotel when the earthquake started.

She said when she came to masonry on her right side was trapping her and she could not stand up.

“They pulled me out by the arms and got me free,” she said.

According to Ozberkman, the rest of the team had fallen into the basement from the floors they were staying on where the last bodies were only recovered on Saturday.

Another mother whose son Kayan died, Serap Korkmaz Is, called for an indoor gym to be created at the children’s school which should be named ‘Angels team’ for the victims.

Turkish Cypriots held the last of the funerals for the group on Sunday, while social media has filled with condolences for the group, and some Greek Cypriots and the UK high commission have expressed their condolences leaving flowers for the victims and flying flags at half-mast.

Over the weekend, some Greek Cypriots that had attended the funeral in Famagusta in the north in support of Turkish Cypriot friends, also left flowers on the gate of the school the children had attended.