Twin earthquakes damage Virgin Mary Church in Hatay, Türkiye

By Aykut Karadag and Beyza Binnur Donmez

HATAY, Türkiye (AA) - The Church of Virgin Mary, located in a village in southern Türkiye inhabited by Armenian-origin Turkish citizens, has been partially damaged in the back-to-back earthquakes that shook southern Türkiye last week.

With a drone, Anadolu took photographs of the village, Vakifli, where the Armenian Catholic church is located, in the province of Hatay.

While none of its 130 residents lost their lives during the earthquakes, the outer walls of the church, which is one of the symbols of the village, were partially damaged, as were the village school and some of its houses.

The Moses Tree, registered as a monumental tree in 1981 and believed to have been planted by the Prophet Moses and grown with the "water of immortality," did not suffer damage in the quakes.

- 'We are grateful for our situation'

Berc Kartun, the administrative head of Vakifli, told Anadolu that they were caught asleep during the earthquake and awoke with a strong jolt.

Vakifli is one of the rare places where nobody died due to the tremors, Kartun said. "I'm extending my condolences to all of Türkiye, and hope for a speedy recovery."

"Damage occurred inside and outside of the historical church in our village. When we saw the scenes in Hatay, we were grateful for our own situation," he said. "We feel heartbroken when we see the destroyed buildings and the people who were pulled out of the rubble."

Noting that six people from the Armenian community lost their lives in the city center of Hatay, Kartun said the state met all their needs by sending blankets and provisions since the first day of the disaster.

He also conveyed his gratitude for all the aid that has been sent and already arrived in the area from all around Türkiye.