Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday afternoon at Stadhuisplein in Eindhoven to commemorate the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The Turkish Fatih and Mevlana mosques took the initiative for the commemoration. Many of those present have family or friends in the disaster area. “They just survived, it’s getting very close.”
Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem encouraged those present on behalf of the municipality of Eindhoven. “It’s unbelievable. The suffering is unprecedented and has touched everyone. As a community, we want to be there for each other. Supporting each other through gifts, but also by just being there is very important.” After the formal speeches and a joint prayer, people turned to each other for support.
“It will never be the way it was.”
Yasin Torunoglu, former alderman in Eindhoven, has family in the disaster area. “It is really terrible what happened there. My family just survived, it’s getting very close. In twenty seconds their lives are destroyed. It will never be the way it was. People are in shock and don’t know how to move on.”
“Everyone wants to help, even children give all the money from their piggy bank.”
Ebru Acikgoz came to the meeting because she wants to do something for the people far away from the Netherlands. “We try to give all the support to the people there. Financially, but also by giving stuff. Everyone wants to help, children even give all the money from their piggy bank. This meeting is very good to reflect on the people there,” she says emotionally.
Dijsselbloem also said that it was decided on the initiative of the city council to one euro per inhabitant to donate to Giro555. Other municipalities have also announced this.
