Greek children’s choir sings for victims young and old of quake-stricken Türkiye, Syria

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - A Greek children’s choir on Tuesday sang compositions by a Greek composer famed both in his country and neighboring Türkiye to show solidarity with the people in Türkiye and Syria recently struck by massive earthquakes, especially the children.

The Choir of the Mikis Theodorakis Museum in Zatouna, a village in the central Peloponnese where Theodorakis once lived, sang before his home, conducted by Stefanos Kardiolakas.

Reiterating that the event was initiated by the choir’s children, Kardiolakas said: “It aims to send a message of love, compassion, and solidarity to the children and the peoples of Türkiye and Syria who are experiencing the indescribable tragedy of the earthquakes.”

Speaking for the choir, one of the children emphasized that they want to express their love, friendship, and solidarity with the children of both Türkiye and Syria.

Theodorakis, a renowned composer and politician who passed away in 2021, remains popular in Türkiye, as he strived for enduring friendship between the Turkish and Greek nations.

Theodorakis was best known for his original soundtrack to the award-winning 1964 film Zorba the Greek. He won the BAFTA Prize for original music for the film Z in 1969, Phaedra in 1962, and the crime drama Serpico in 1973.

At least 35,400 people were killed and more than 105,505 others injured in two powerful earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figures.

In Syria, at least 3,688 people were killed and over 14,749 injured in the earthquake disaster.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, were felt by 13 million people across 10 provinces in Türkiye, and also affected several countries in the region.