Turkish football paused in collective remembrance on Thursday, as the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and clubs across the country marked the third anniversary of the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes, a catastrophe that reshaped lives, cities and the nation’s sporting conscience.
In a message published on its official website, the TFF recalled the devastation unleashed by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, which tore through 11 provinces and left an indelible scar on the country.
The federation offered prayers for those who lost their lives and condolences to grieving families, reaffirming that the scale of the tragedy, and the responsibility to remember it, has not faded with time.
Often described as the “Disaster of the Century,” the twin earthquakes struck in the early hours of Feb. 6, 2023.
The first, a magnitude 7.7 quake centered in Pazarcık, hit at 4:17 a.m., followed hours later by a second magnitude 7.6 tremor in Elbistan.
Entire neighborhoods collapsed, thousands were trapped under rubble, and rescue efforts unfolded amid freezing winter conditions.
More than 53,500 people were killed in Türkiye, over 107,000 were injured, and nearly 14 million were affected across Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Adana, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Kilis and Elazığ.
Three years on, reconstruction continues, but the anniversary remains a moment of reflection rather than closure.
Beşiktaş delivered one of the starkest tributes, choosing brevity over flourish. “Unutmadık, unutmayacağız (We have not forgotten. We will not forget),” the club said, honoring those who died and expressing hope that such suffering is never repeated, words that have become a moral refrain across Turkish sport.
Fenerbahçe echoed that resolve, remembering the victims “with mercy and longing” while offering patience and strength to bereaved families. The club’s message reinforced the idea that remembrance is not confined to ceremonies, but lives on in collective memory.
Galatasaray struck a more reflective tone, recalling the night “when our hearts burned,” and acknowledging the emotional weight that still lingers three years later. The club emphasized solidarity with survivors, pledging continued support and presence beyond symbolic gestures.
Trabzonspor focused on both loss and resilience, honoring those who died while extending renewed wishes of strength to families and survivors still rebuilding their lives. The club also voiced a shared hope heard across the football community, that such devastation is never experienced again.
Beyond the country’s traditional giants, dozens of professional and amateur clubs, federations and athletes joined the commemoration, filling social media with prayers, black ribbons and messages of solidarity.
The repetition of the phrase “Unutmadık, unutmayacağız” was not coincidental; it reflected a collective determination to resist the fading of memory as years pass.
