With the death toll still rising in Turkey and Syria following two devastating earthquakes on Feb. 6, community members in Oakland gathered early Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil at Lake Merritt, to grieve and express solidarity with those impacted. 

The vigil was organized and led by two local mental health care professionals—Kholoud Nasser, a psychotherapist who is Lebanese, and Nermin Soyalp, a collective trauma scholar and healing practitioner who is Turkish. A flier for the gathering was circulated on social media on Monday, along with a written note from Nasser.

“It’s painful to witness from afar where nothing around us in the diaspora stops to take a moment for grief or acknowledgment. I hope we can all create spaces for collective grief wherever we are. I believe in the power of collective grief and how crucial it is for our healing and for the continuation of our existence,” Nasser wrote.

It’s been 10 days since the massive earthquake and aftershock, and rescue teams continue to pull victims from the rubble. As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed dead in the two countries had eclipsed 40,000, according to the New York Times.

About two dozen people attended yesterday’s gathering at 5 p.m. at Snow Park. They formed a circle around Nasser and Soyalp, who introduced themselves and spoke about the tragedy that had occurred, while holding a poster board with photographs of the destruction and a handwritten message saying, “For the lost lives of our beloved in Turkey and Syria.”

Vigil organizers and mental health care professionals Kholoud Nasser (left) and Nermin Soyalp (right) speak to the crowd about intentions for the gathering, Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz

“Being born in the diaspora, it’s really hard to process…such a big, immense humanitarian tragic event like two earthquakes shaking both Turkey and Syria,” said Nasser. The earthquake will have long-term consequences that are political, spiritual, and humanitarian, she added. “So making spaces for collective grief, to process together in community, is crucial.”

Soyalp encouraged those assembled to acknowledge the painfulness of the tragedy and make the space they need to heal. “Be gentle with ourselves. It’s okay to take a break and rest.”

About two dozen people attend a vigil at Lake Merritt honoring the victims of two earthquakes that shook Syria and Turkey last week, Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz

From Snow Park, the group walked in a slow procession south along Lake Merritt until reaching the Lake Merritt Amphitheater. Some carried roses and candles, and one mourner held a Turkish flag.

Kholoud Nasser (left), Nermin Soyalp (middle), and Cigdem Cogur (right) lead the procession from Snow Park to the Lake Merritt Amphitheater where they will hold the vigil. Cogur is holding the flag of Turkey, one of the places hit by the earthquake, and where Cogur is from. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Vigil attendees walk from Snow Park to the Lake Merritt Amphitheater holding roses and candles for the altar. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Vigil attendees walk from Snow Park to the Lake Merritt Amphitheater holding roses and candles for the altar honoring those lost during the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
People participating in the vigil for the Turkey-Syria earthquake victims walk in a procession along Lake Merritt, passing a couple on a park bench. The vigil took place on Valentine’s Day. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz

At the amphitheater, the group assembled their items and lit candles to create an altar, and observed a moment of silence. 

Nermin Soyalp holds a moment of silence at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater during the vigil to honor loved ones and people impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Vigil attendees holding roses and candles for the altar paying tribute to the victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Vigil attendees observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Vigil organizers and attendees gathered at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater to grieve those killed by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz

Several people spoke. One of them was Cigdem Cogur, who is from Adana, one of the affected cities in Turkey. “Only love will heal us,” she told the gathering. Afterward, she told The Oaklandside that she’s still concerned for the safety of her loved ones in Turkey. “My family and friends are there,” she said. “The cities are dark, there’s no food. I’m not sure the infrastructure is still working.”

Vigil attendees place flowers and candles on the altar to honor those impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey last week. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
A community member places a candle on the altar to honor those impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey last week. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Cigdem Cogur holds a Turkish flag while others join hands at the Lake Merritt vigil. Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Vigil attendees form a circle and hold hands during the closing of the event for mourning, Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
Vigil attendees place flowers and candles on the altar to honor those impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey last week, Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
About two dozen people attend a vigil at Lake Merritt in honor of the victims of two earthquakes that shook Syria and Turkey, Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz
An altar at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater honors those impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey last week, Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: Amir Aziz

Amir Aziz is a photographer and videographer from Oakland, California. Using photography as his primary medium, Amir documents life and times in his community and the rapid changes in his environment. He's covered music events and social justice movements in the U.S. and abroad for local and international publications. Before shelter-in-place, he traveled to over 10 countries producing multimedia projects juxtaposing the experiences of locals elsewhere to those in his hometown of Oakland. Amir hopes to continue to bridge the gap between African diaspora communities and oppressed groups in the world through multimedia storytelling.