6m
6 Feb 2024

Anger in Turkey’s cultural jewel one year on from earthquake

It was one year ago today that two devastating earthquakes hit southern Turkey and northern Syria.

Around 60 thousand people lost their lives and tens of thousands of buildings were left in ruins.

As Turkey marks the anniversary, vigils across the country have seen grief mixed with anger.

Many berated the authorities for the slow pace of reconstruction, and the lack of accountability for the poor construction which led to so many buildings collapsing.

One of the worst hit cities was Antakya – the historical and cultural jewel of Turkey’s south.

Vast swathes of the city were destroyed.

But people there are trying to rebuild their lives, as Emily Wither reports, in this piece filmed by Fadi Al Halabi, who lost many of his own family in the earthquake.