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