Türkiye marks Eid in solidarity with quake victims

Türkiye has come together in solidarity with quake victims to mark the occasion of Eid-Al Fitr, as the three-day holiday begins on April 21 with the ending of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Also celebrated as the "Candy Festival" in Türkiye, Eid is a public holiday during which people traditionally visit their families and friends and offer meals and desserts.

Like every year, thousands of people flocked to Eyüpsultan and Taksim Mosques for Eid prayers.

The crowd that increased with the morning prayer in the early hours overflowed into the courtyard as the Eid prayer time approached.

Those who could not find a place in the mosques performed the prayers in the gardens of the mosques.

Meanwhile, those in the earthquake region affected by the devastating tremor in early February spend the Ramadan feast in sorrow.

In the very early hours of the morning, many of them visited the graves of their relatives who lost their lives in the earthquakes.

Cemeteries were filled in the 11 quake-hit provinces devastated by the twin disaster, while the relatives of those who lost their lives lamented at the graves they covered with flowers and special items.

Graves of some of the children who died in the earthquake at the Malatya Cemetery were covered with blankets, with headstones covered in holiday clothes and their favorite toys placed on their graves.

"Thousands of our people lost their lives in one night. We lost many dreams in one night. We came to visit them today," stated an earthquake survivor.

"We lost not only our citizens but also our hometown, Adıyaman, where our childhood and dreams were spent."

Cengiz Balık, whose family died in the southern province of Hatay, stated that the pain of...