Memorial and Tree Planting in Yalova Commemorate Victims of Kahramanmaraş School Attack

In a poignant act of remembrance and solidarity, the city of Yalova has honored the lives lost in the tragic school attack in Kahramanmaraş. A memorial was unveiled and eleven saplings were planted to forever commemorate the teacher and ten students who were victims of the senseless violence that shook Turkey on April 15.

The attack at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in the Onikişubat district of Kahramanmaraş sent waves of grief across the nation. The ceremony in Yalova, attended by local officials including Mayor Mehmet Gürel, served as a solemn occasion to reflect on the tragedy and to ensure that the memory of those lost is preserved.

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The whole of Turkey was shaken by such an event. We are having a sad Bayram, but on the other hand, we need to live the Bayram, be a good example to other children, and provide a pleasant environment. Because it is also our National Sovereignty Bayram. We are celebrating the first step of our Parliament's establishment, where our nation's will was legally reflected in governance. In this context, we did such a beautiful work. I wish our nation condolences once again. I hope such events will not happen again.

Mayor Gürel spoke of the profound sadness that enveloped the country, particularly during a festive period like Bayram. He emphasized the importance of continuing national celebrations while also honoring the victims, stating, "We are having a sad Bayram, but on the other hand, we need to live the Bayram, be a good example to other children, and provide a pleasant environment." He expressed a collective hope that such incidents would never be repeated.

Echoing these sentiments, CHP Yalova Provincial Chairman Erdem Doğancı highlighted the broader issues of child welfare and protection in Turkey. He spoke of the need to safeguard children's futures and to address various forms of harm they may face, from child labor to abuse. "We have a duty to keep them alive without upsetting them," Doğancı stated, underscoring the collective responsibility to protect and nurture the younger generation, ensuring they can grow up in safety and hope.

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We did not want to experience such an event on the eve of April 23. We want to protect our children. We want our children to live. We want our children to grow their hopes, to be our future. We are not only losing in this event. We have siblings we lost at a young age in MESEMs. Unfortunately, we have child laborers who are forced to work at a young age on the streets. There are many siblings who are victims of bullying within the family, at school, and in harassment incidents. It falls upon us adults to defend the rights of all of them. We have a duty to keep them alive without upsetting them. We have a duty to keep those children alive as well.