President Erdoğan commemorates 2023 earthquake victims, pledges memory kept

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has marked the third anniversary of the catastrophic earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye in 2023, honoring the memory of the tens of thousands of victims and reaffirming the state's commitment to the ongoing recovery. In a solemn message, the President stated that the government has successfully met its ambitious reconstruction pledges.

A Pledge Fulfilled Amidst Devastation

In a post on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, President Erdoğan stated, "We promised our nation that we would always keep their memories alive... and raise our cities that were destroyed by the earthquake back to their feet." He asserted, "Today, with Allah's permission, we have overcome this challenge and rebuilt and revived our cities in as short a time as three years. We kept our word." His message was accompanied by a video contrasting the initial destruction with recent reconstruction progress.

Remembering the Disaster and Its Scale

The twin earthquakes on February 6, 2023, centered in Kahramanmaraş province, caused unprecedented damage across 11 provinces. The disaster resulted in massive loss of life and left infrastructure and housing in ruins, creating one of the largest humanitarian and reconstruction challenges in the republic's modern history. The anniversary serves as a national day of remembrance for the victims.

Ongoing Commitment and Memorial Services

President Erdoğan is scheduled to attend memorial services later on Friday to pay formal respects to the victims. His message reinforces the narrative of a state that has not forgotten its citizens and has mobilized its full capacity for recovery, framing the reconstruction as both a technical achievement and a moral obligation to the affected communities and the nation.