A tree was planted in London on Saturday as a memorial to the 24 Cypriot children and 11 Cypriot adults who died when the hotel in which they were staying in Turkey collapsed during an earthquake in 2023.

The 35 Cypriots were among 72 to die when the Isias hotel in the southeastern Turkish city of Adiyaman collapsed in the early hours of the morning of February 6, 2023.

Six people were found guilty of causing death by conscious negligence leading to the building’s collapse on December 25, though it is expected that the families of the dead will appeal the ruling to demand that charges of intentionally killing the victims be brought.

The tree was planted in Trent Park in the London borough of Enfield. The event was attended by Rusen Karakaya, whose daughter Selin was one of the 24 Cypriot children who died, as well as the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, Turkey’s ambassador in London Osman Koray Ertas, British MP Nesil Caliskan, and other dignitaries.

Karakaya spoke at the event, saying she and other family members of the dead have been “fighting for two years to ensure justice for our children”.

“We lost our children in a hotel built as a graveyard in a place where we sent them for a sports competition. This is not just our fight, it is humanity’s common fight. We will not give up on this fight until justice is served. Seeing the solidarity here has given us strength,” she said, before thanking those who attended the event for their support.

The tree was planted at the end of a week in which the Adiyaman court’s decision on the case regarding the hotel was published, with the document drawing fierce criticism from Cyprus Turkish bar association chairman Hasan Esendagli.

There is no legal justification over the question of why the defendants are accused of conscious negligence or intent. In addition, the reasons for the different sentences given to the defendants have not been explained in detail,” he had said at a press conference on Tuesday.

He added that the process of filing an appeal in the Turkish city of Gaziantep has begun.

The north’s ‘state’ planning organisation undersecretary Durali Guclusoy also spoke at the press conference, expressing his belief that the outcome of the Isias case will set a precedent.

“This disaster cannot be normalised. The Isias case must be a precedent case, and must produce results which will prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future,” he said, adding that the north’s authorities would continue to support the families of the dead and their fight for justice.

Esendagli then concurred with Guclusoy’s evaluation, saying the case “may create a precedent which will question construction standards in Turkey”.