Erhürman: Disaster Must Mark a Turning Point in Public Administration

President Tufan Erhürman issued a statement following the maritime disaster off Kyrenia, saying the tragedy must not be forgotten after a week and that those responsible for any mistakes, negligence or failures must be held accountable.

Drawing attention to the suffering of the families of those missing, Erhürman said, “The cries of children searching for their mothers and mothers searching for their children will not leave our ears.”

He stressed that the disaster must be investigated in its entirety.

“Whatever happened before, during or after the incident — any mistake, wrongdoing, negligence or failure — must be identified and shared with the public,” Erhürman said.

“IT IS THE ADMINISTRATION’S DUTY TO ANSWER”

Erhürman said questions raised by journalists and experts were legitimate and stressed that the authorities had a responsibility to provide answers and keep the public properly informed.

“Many journalists and experts are raising questions, and rightly so. It is the administration’s duty to ensure they are not left unanswered,” he said.

He added that questions should be addressed as quickly and accurately as possible as reliable information becomes available.

Erhürman said search and rescue operations were continuing and would continue until the very end.

“Search and rescue operations are continuing without interruption. They will continue without interruption until the very end,” he said.

“THIS MUST BE A TURNING POINT”

Referring to the question of “How many times has this happened?”, Erhürman said the latest disaster must lead to a fundamental change in the way public administration operates.

“I hear the question, ‘How many times?’ But this time, what has happened must now be a turning point in terms of public administration,” he said.

Erhürman expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and offered his support to the families of the 18 people who remain missing.

“Our grief is too great to be expressed in words. My condolences to those who have lost loved ones, my strength to the families of those we have not yet reached, and my best wishes to the personnel working tirelessly in the field,” he said.