Renowned violinist Layth Sidiq plays for quake victims in Türkiye

By Anna Cecilia Canatan

ANKARA (AA) – Renowned Iraqi-Jordanian violinist Layth Sidiq on Thursday gave an impromptu performance with his instrument for the quake victims in Türkiye.

Sidiq, a Grammy-nominated musician, shared a 1-minute performance on his Instagram account in memory of those who lost their lives and relatives in last week’s quakes.

“This past week has been unbearable for many Turkish and Syrian families who have felt the earthquake’s aftermath and lost many loved ones. The past week has also shown an outpouring of support from around the world to encourage people to donate and support families with basic needs and assist with rescue missions,” said Sidiq.

He encouraged all to continue supporting and giving any little contribution. ”But I also want to offer a moment of silence and remembrance to all lost lives, and I offer this short improvisation in their memory,” he added.

He has become popular in recent years with his performances on YouTube.

At least 36,187 people were killed by the two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, the country's disaster agency said on Thursday in the latest figures from the natural disaster.

The Feb. 6 magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours.