The commemoration program organized by Manisa Metropolitan Municipality on the anniversary of the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes was held in Cumhuriyet Square. Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mehmet Güzgülü, Deputy Secretary General Ali Öztozlu, Ergün Aksoy, Metin Memiş, Mayor Advisor Nursel Ustamehmetoğlu, Deputy Governor Mustafa Harputlu, Fire Department Head Gürhan İnal, Cemeteries Department Head Aydoğan İra, Social Services Department Head Sibel Alkın Kedersiz, Head of the Department of Culture and Social Affairs Meliha Çavuşoğlu Kılınçlar, Head of the Headman's Affairs Department Onur Pabuçcuoğlu, MHP Manisa Provincial Vice Presidents, MHP Şehzadeler District Head Şener Özten, headmen, citizens and students attended.
The program started with a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem, and prayers were recited for the souls of our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquakes. Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mehmet Güzgülü, who was later invited to the podium to make his speech in memory of the day, said, “The pain of the earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, at 04.17 in Kahramanmaraş-Pazarcık and at 13.24 in Elbistan, is still fresh in our hearts. I remember with mercy all our brothers and sisters who we lost in this great pain, which caused serious destruction in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Adana, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Elazığ and was described as the Disaster of the Century. My condolences to our country and nation. "After this great disaster that took thousands of our people away from life, injured many people and left them homeless, we stood by our state and nation from the first moment in terms of search and rescue efforts, removing debris and healing wounds," he said.
HE EXPLAINED THE WORKS CARRIED OUT DURING THE EARTHQUAKE
Describing the work carried out by Manisa Metropolitan Municipality in the disaster area, Deputy Mayor Güzgülü said, “We tried to cure the wounds of our citizens in the disaster area with our Fire Department, all units of our Metropolitan and MASKI General Directorate, our work machines, trucks, fuel tankers, hundreds of vehicles and hundreds of personnel. We supported our brothers at iftar and sahur with the soup kitchen and food distribution vehicle we established in the tent city. We sent the necessary materials to the disaster area by vehicles under the coordination of Manisa Governorship and AFAD. "In addition, we have carried out and continue to work for the happiness and peace of our disaster victims who came to our city," he said.
METROPOLITAN FIRE DEPARTMENT TOOK AN ACTIVE ROLE
Güzgülü, who also shared the work of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department in the disaster area, said, “After we received the sad news, our fire brigade quickly set out at dawn on February 6 and was involved in search and rescue efforts in Osmaniye. After completing their duties in Osmaniye, our teams went to Adıyaman and worked in the disaster area for 12 days in total. Following these, a fire brigade team continued its duty in the tent city in Kahramanmaraş against the risk of fire. "The work done by our fire brigade in the disaster area was rewarded with the State Medal and Order of Superior Sacrifice by our Presidency," he said.
“WE WILL GET THROUGH THE DIFFICULT DAYS TOGETHER”
Thanking those who contributed to the program, Güzgülü concluded his speech as follows: “I pray that God does not let our country and nation experience such pain again. As long as we are united as a nation, there is no challenge that we cannot overcome. We will get through these difficult days together, with God's permission. May God protect our country and nation from all kinds of disasters, accidents and troubles. I pray that the recitation of the Holy Quran that will be read soon and the prayers we will say will reach the souls of the souls we have lost. On this blessed day when we celebrate the Miraj Kandil, I pray to God Almighty that all our brothers and sisters who lost their lives will rest in heaven. With these feelings, I once again commemorate all our citizens we lost in disasters, especially the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, and thank our friends who contributed to the commemoration program we organized.”
EARTHQUAKE DRILL WAS DONE
Following the speech, an earthquake drill was carried out by Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department and City Theatre. In the drill where security measures, search-rescue and debris removal activities were carried out under an earthquake scenario, City Theater actors portrayed disaster victims waiting for their relatives to be rescued from under the rubble. Search and rescue dog 'Fay', trained at the Dog Training and Rehabilitation Center, also took part in the exercise.
RICE AND KANDIL SIMIDI WERE OFFERED TO CITIZENS
After the exercise, protocol members visited the exhibition containing photographs of the work carried out by Manisa Metropolitan Municipality in the disaster area. Additionally, the vehicles and equipment used by Manisa Metropolitan Municipality in the earthquake zone were also examined. Protocol members were informed about the work carried out by Fire Department Head Gürhan İnal. At the end of the program, where prayers were recited for the souls of our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake, rice and kandil simit were served to the citizens from the mobile catering vehicle of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality.
