MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Semsûr (Adıyaman)- 54,000 people were killed in the two devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Kurdistan on February 6, according to official figures. However, the death toll is thought to be more because of the buildings collapsed or were severely damaged in the earthquakes. While there are many missing people, the people struggle to heal their wounds and survive for five months. The earthquake survivors will spend the Feast of Sacrifice in cemeteries. They have already started visiting cemeteries, lamenting for their loved ones and leaving candies on their graves to be taken by children.

According to unofficial figures, more than 2,000 buildings collapsed and about 30,000 people lost their lives in Semsûr due to the earthquakes. In the city, you can see people visiting cemeteries. “There is no feast for us because we are still in grief,” said the people visiting the cemeteries in the city.

 Safiye Avcı, who lamented for her brother and niece in a cemetery, told us that five months were like five days for her. Describing the earthquakes as “Doomsday”, she said, “I am now 51 years old and I have never experienced such an earthquake before. At 6 am, we heard that the house of my brother collapsed in the earthquakes. We went there but saw only rubble. I will never forget the cries for help on that day. There was nobody, nobody to help. The search and rescue teams arrived here on the third day of the earthquake, after people died under rubble. How can we celebrate this feast while we feel such grief and anger? I will not forget what we lost and what we experienced on that day.”

‘Our grief and anger are still fresh’

Since the Feb.6 earthquakes, Sevgi Kılınç has visited the cemetery every day. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked for the earthquake survivors’ blessing during his visit to Adıyaman after the earthquakes. “We do not give our blessing. The government did not fulfill its duty after the earthquakes. Before the earthquakes, we used to support this government (the AKP government). We have lost our relatives, dreams and hopes. We cannot celebrate anything anymore. Now, we just wait for the day we die. Our grief and anger are still fresh.”

Sevgi Kılınç told us that every day is like February 6 for them. “We are told, ‘life goes on’ but it does not. I come to this cemetery every day. Nothing lessens our grief.”