Thousands of survivors gathered in torchlit vigils across southern Turkey at 4:17 a.m. on Thursday, marking the exact moment two years ago when a catastrophic earthquake struck, killing over 53,000 people in Turkey and approximately 6,000 in Syria.

The 7.8-magnitude quake, which hit while most people were asleep, leveled nearly 40,000 buildings and severely damaged around 200,000 more, trapping thousands under the rubble.

“Although two years have passed, the pain remains. It still feels like the first day,” said 25-year-old survivor Emine Albayrak in Antakya, the ancient city of Antioch, which lost 90% of its buildings. More than 20,000 people died in Antakya and its surrounding areas.

Mourners chanted, “Can anybody hear me?”—echoing the desperate cries of those buried beneath the wreckage in freezing temperatures. Red carnations were thrown into the Orontes River in remembrance of the victims.

Anger Amid Grief

While the vigils honored lost lives, they also became a platform for protest. A massive banner reading, “We will not forget, we will not forgive. We will hold them accountable!” reflected widespread frustration. Many blame corrupt developers and officials for approving unsafe buildings in an earthquake-prone region.

“This was not just an earthquake, this was a massacre!” demonstrators shouted.

Tensions flared when security forces blocked marchers from reaching certain areas, leading to clashes and the detention of three people. Protesters responded with chants calling for the government’s resignation, local media reported.

Meanwhile, Christian communities gathered for solemn prayers outside the ruins of Antakya’s 14th-century Greek Orthodox church.

A City Forever Changed

“Two years have passed, but it still feels like yesterday,” said Humeysa Bagriyanik, who was 16 when the quake hit.

“My hometown is unrecognizable. It has become a giant construction site,” she said, referring to Antakya, where rebuilding efforts continue.

Dubbed the “disaster of the century” by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the earthquake displaced nearly two million people. Today, around 670,000 survivors still live in temporary container homes.

“We will continue rebuilding with hard work, patience, and determination until our cities stand strong again,” Erdoğan said in a statement. He is set to attend a memorial ceremony in Adiyaman, a province where over 8,000 lives were lost.

So far, nearly 201,500 homes have been provided to survivors, with the government pledging another 220,000 by the end of the year.

The Lingering Trauma

For many survivors, the trauma persists.

“Whenever I enter a room, I check the ceiling first—will it hold in an earthquake, or will I be trapped?” said 34-year-old Sema Genc, who lost her entire family when her home collapsed.

Justice remains a pressing issue, with 189 people jailed for negligence and over 1,300 trials ongoing.

Adding to concerns, a series of recent earthquakes in the Aegean Sea have sparked fears of another major tremor. Urban Planning Minister Murat Kurum warned that Istanbul, which sits near a major fault line, has “600,000 homes at risk of collapse.”

“Istanbul cannot withstand another earthquake of this magnitude,” he cautioned.

As Turkey remembers its dead, it also braces for the future—hoping to prevent another tragedy of this scale.