Victims of Reyhanlı Attacks Remembered

In Hatay’s Reyhanlı district, 53 people who lost their lives in the bombings that took place 11 years ago were commemorated once again with a memorial ceremony. The bomb attacks that occurred on May 11, 2013, in Reyhanlı district, resulting in the loss of 53 lives and injuries to many others, were remembered with a special program on the 11th anniversary.

Attendance and Ceremony Details of the Memorial Program

The memorial program took place in front of the May 11 Martyrs Monument. Participants carrying Turkish flags and the photos of the martyrs’ families stood in silence, recited the National Anthem, and prayers were offered during the reading of the names of those who lost their lives in the attacks. Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Öntürk, Reyhanlı District Governor Yasin Öztürk, Reyhanlı Mayor Ahmet Salman Yumuşak, and citizens also attended the program.

Speeches by the President of the Martyrs Association and Officials

The President of the Martyrs Association, Ahmet Tuna, expressed his feelings by saying, ‘We are ready to sacrifice 53 more martyrs for the sake of our country.’ Reyhanlı District Governor Yasin Öztürk emphasized the importance of unity and solidarity by stating, ‘The unity and solidarity of this nation will never be broken.’ Reyhanlı Mayor Ahmet Salman Yumuşak shared his emotions by mentioning that he is a relative of 11 people who lost their lives in the attack.

• Ahmet Tuna: ‘May 11 is the day when Turkey went from its darkest to brightest day.’
• Yasin Öztürk: ‘The anniversary of the desire for unrest and chaos in Reyhanlı, where peace and prosperity prevails, and the efforts to create turmoil in our country.’
• Ahmet Salman Yumuşak: ‘May the heavens be the abode of our 53 martyrs. May their souls rest in peace.’

Feelings of the Martyrs’ Families

Hatice Erboz and Medine Erdemci, who live in Reyhanlı, shared their feelings for their lost relatives in the attack. Hatice Erboz, expressing that they experience the same pain every year, emphasized, ‘The unity and solidarity of this nation will never be broken.’ Medine Erdemci stated that she does not celebrate Mother’s Day after losing her son and expressed her grief.

• Hatice Erboz: ‘I lost my sister and daughter in the May 11 explosion. Our pain is as fresh as the first day.’
• Medine Erdemci: ‘I do not celebrate Mother’s Day after my son, who was martyred on May 11.’