Prime Minister Ünal Üstel visited Çayırova village, which was hit by a tornado three days ago, to assess the damage and listen to residents’ concerns. He inspected the Çayırova Primary School’s astroturf pitch, which was torn up by the storm, and received updates from the school’s principal, Mehmet Ali Keleş, BRTK reported.
Üstel was accompanied by İskele District Governor Ertuğrul Toroslu and Mehmetçik Büyükkonuk Mayor Fatma Çimen Tuğlu during the visit. According to Governor Toroslu, 18 people in Çayırova, 1 in Dipkarpaz, 1 in Derince, and 3 in Büyükkonuk were impacted by the tornado. Damage included destroyed roofs, water tanks, and significant harm to vineyards, olive, and carob trees.
The Prime Minister expressed his wishes for a swift recovery to the affected residents in the İskele and Karpaz regions. He acknowledged the rarity of such tornadoes in the country and emphasised the state’s role in providing assistance to those affected. He also thanked Mayor Tuğlu and Governor Toroslu for their prompt response to the disaster.
Hoping for no future incidents, Üstel reiterated his well-wishes for the community’s recovery.
Çayırova Headman Ahmet Ercüment reported severe damage to roofs and the school’s football pitch. He praised the support from Prime Minister Üstel, the district governor, and the mayor in helping the community recover. Mayor Tuğlu expressed sorrow for the disaster but took comfort in the fact that there were no casualties. She noted that municipal teams arrived quickly to provide first aid and have continued to assist in repairing the damage.
Principal Keleş added that while the tornado barely touched the school, it caused significant damage to the children’s astroturf pitch.