Akel delegation visits graves of Turkish Cypriot earthquake victims (Updated)

By Gina Agapiou and Nikolaos Prakas

Left-wing Akel said on Friday it stands by the families of the victims of the deadly earthquakes in Turkey, general-secretary Stefanos Stefanou said during a visit to the victims graves in the north.

Stefanou was speaking as he visited the cemetery in the non-government-controlled area of Famagusta where most of the 49 Turkish Cypriot victims of the two large earthquakes in Turkey have been buried.

The Akel leader laid flowers at the graves, talked with relatives of the victims and expressed the party’s condolences for the unjust loss of the deceased.

The delegation also visited families of Turkish Cypriot children who lost their lives, a statement from the party said.

Participating in the delegation along with Stefanou were Akel’s Famagusta-area district secretary, Chrysanthos Zannettos, press spokesman and Famagusta MP George Koukoumas, Pogo general-secretary Skevi Koukoumas, head of the rapprochement bureau of the party, Elias Demetriou and member Andri Demetriou as well as other members of the left-wing movement.

The Turkish death toll now stands at more than 43,500 people after the two massive earthquakes on February 6. Among them, was the 35 members of a Turkish Cypriot volleyball team who were staying at the Isias hotel in Adiyaman. An investigation has been launched into the building’s safety as the owner and managers have been arrested.

The tremors followed by another strong quake two weeks later.

Meanwhile, the toll in neighbouring Syria, a nation already shattered by war, is close to 6,000.

Reports from the north later in the day also estimated the number of Turkish earthquake victims to have come to the north to have surpassed 3,000.

According to the numbers of the recorded arrivals so far, a total of 3,721 people arrived in eight districts in the north.

The report published in Yeni Duzen claimed that most of the people arriving are gathering into one- or two-bedroom homes that cannot fit them.

Also, among the earthquake victims, there have also been recorded cases of people arriving that are not from areas affected by the earthquakes.

Most of the victims are in Nicosia (1,721), followed by Kyrenia (1,200), and then Famagusta (330), Lapithos (318), Akanthou (75), Karpasia (40), Lefkoniko (23), and Trikomo (14).

Yeni Duzen also reported that the entire process is under management of the Turkish embassy and that the ‘government’ has no information on the number of arrivals.