National mourning was declared after two deadly earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 on Feb. 6 hit Türkiye’s south, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced. Hurriyet Daily News reports on February 7, 2023.
“Seven days of national mourning has been declared due to the earthquakes that took place in our country on Feb. 6, 2023. Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in all our country and its foreign representations,” said the written statement shared on the president’s social media account.
Powerful 7.7 and 7,6-magnitude earthquakes rattled the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, claiming the lives of at least 3,419 people and injuring more than 20,500 others, while tremors were also in nine other provinces in the country.
Schools suspended in 10 provinces
Meanwhile, education was suspended for two weeks in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman and Malatya, and for a week in Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Adana, Osmaniye, Gaziantep and Kilis, Education Minister Mahmut Özer announced.
Noting that he contacted all provincial directors and governors in the region on how education and training will continue in the second term in 10 provinces, Özer said, “We will reevaluate in the process and decide whether to extend the closure according to the developments.”
“We, as the ministry, are on the field to quickly prepare our schools for education. Our friends mobilized to provide all kinds of support, both in terms of budget and people,” he added.
The minister extended condolences and wished God’s mercy to the citizens who lost their lives in the tragic incident, saying, “This is a time of great pain, unity and togetherness. Hopefully, we will heal these wounds quickly by using all resources.”
Spring semester postponed in 12 provinces
The spring semester in higher education institutions in Antalya, Bingöl, Elazığ, Erzincan, Karaman, Kayseri, Konya, Mardin, Mersin, Niğde, Sivas, Tunceli has also been postponed until further notice, the Council of Higher Education said in a statement.
The dormitory and campus facilities that are available will be used if needed, the council added.
Hurriyet Daily News, February 7, 2023