The Green Pedal Cycling Sports Club Association announced that two fountains have been built in Kantara Square and Mersinlik Bosphorus to commemorate the 24 Famagusta school children, aged between 11 and 14, who were part of a volleyball team, who lost their lives at the I*sias Hotel in Adıyaman during the February 6, 2023 earthquake.
These fountains were a joint effort between the Green Pedal Cycling Sports Club Association and the Champion Angels Survival Association, with support from the Forestry Department and Iskele Municipality.
The Forestry Department helped secure the locations for the fountains, while all costs were covered by the Green Pedal Cycling Sports Club Association.
Iskele Municipality Mayor Hasan Sadıkoğlu will officially open the fountains tomorrow.
*After the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Turkey, which killed tens of thousands in cities like Adıyaman, the government faced criticism for the collapse of many buildings. This disaster was partly linked to a building amnesty law passed in March 2019, just before local elections. The law allowed buildings that didn’t meet safety standards to be legalised, which contributed to the heavy loss of life when these structures couldn’t withstand the earthquake.
Following the tragedy, the Turkish authorities arrested over 800 people, including contractors, engineers, and inspectors, for their role in the construction and approval of the collapsed buildings. These individuals were charged with negligence and failing to follow earthquake-resistant building codes.
However, the prosecutions focused mainly on those directly involved in building and certifying the unsafe structures, rather than on higher-level officials or policymakers who were responsible for the amnesty law or overall urban planning. The government’s actions were seen as an attempt to address public anger, but they also highlighted deeper issues in Turkey’s construction industry and regulatory oversight. [Ed.]
