A family’s desperate search: Turkish lawyer still missing since 2023 earthquakes

In the aftermath of the devastating February 6, 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye, families in Adiyaman are still searching for their missing loved ones. Among the many still unaccounted for is lawyer Halil Aktoprak, who vanished after the collapse of the Zumrut Apartment in Adiyaman.

Despite two years passing since the tragedy, his family still has no closure, as they continue to hope for answers.

Zumrut Apartment collapse: A family lost under rubble

The Zumrut Apartment building, which collapsed in the February 6 earthquake, claimed the lives of 37 people, including Halil Aktoprak, his father Mehmet, his mother Halime, and four of his sisters.

Halime Aktoprak was rescued five days after the disaster with serious injuries. While the bodies of Halil’s father and sisters were recovered from the rubble, Halil remains missing.

A sister’s search: Vesfa Aktoprak’s pain

According to a report by Bahri Ucar from Gazete Duvar, Vesfa Aktoprak, Halil’s surviving sister, has been desperately searching for her brother, clinging to the hope of finding his grave. She shared, “For two years, we have carried this pain, but we do not even have a grave to mourn at.”

The Adiyaman Bar Association has been working alongside the family to locate Halil, but despite their efforts, they have yet to uncover his whereabouts.

Unanswered questions: Discrepancies in identification

Vesfa Aktoprak recalled how, after the earthquake, she hoped for over a year that her brother was alive, saying, “I kept thinking he would be found eventually, but after seeing photos from the police last summer, we had to accept that he was no longer with us. But we still cannot find his grave.”

She further explained that despite multiple efforts to locate Halil’s remains, including DNA tests and inquiries at the highest levels of authority, the search continues fruitlessly. “The number on the photos of my brother does not match the numbers at the cemetery,” she said.

A mother’s unbearable grief: The unspoken loss

Vesfa also revealed that her mother, Halime, is still unaware that her son is missing. After being rescued from the rubble, Halime was treated in Diyarbakir for a month, and it wasn’t until a month later that Vesfa had to break the news.

“My mother never visited the cemetery. She always says, ‘I will not go until I die.’ We have not spoken about anyone’s name for the past two years because we cannot bear it. This pain cannot be described in words,” Vesfa shared.

The call for closure: A sister’s plea

Vesfa’s only wish is to lay her brother to rest. She expressed frustration with the lack of action in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, saying, “If the government had responded in the first three days, many lives could have been saved. But they were unable to reach Adiyaman in time. Our people tried to rescue their families on their own, but they couldn’t.” Her plea is simple: to have her brother’s grave found and him laid to rest with his family.

Bar association’s efforts: A long-running search for Halil

Adiyaman Bar Association President Bilal Dogan stated that the chaos following the earthquake has made it difficult to identify and locate the missing. He explained, “The aftermath caused confusion, with bodies being pulled from the rubble without identification and buried in unmarked graves. Despite identifying many victims, we still have not located Halil’s body. We do not know whether he is alive or dead, as there have been no leads.”

Dogan confirmed that they, along with the prosecutor’s office, have continued their relentless efforts to find Halil. “We have opened many unmarked graves and conducted DNA tests, but so far, there has been no trace of Halil. Our search continues, and we believe we will eventually find him,” he said. The search for Halil Aktoprak remains unresolved, with his family and the Adiyaman Bar Association continuing to press authorities for answers.