Thousands of people bid an emotional and tearful farewell to Ferdi Zeyrek, the popular mayor of the western Turkish city of Manisa, who died after a serious accident at his home, and whose sudden death has shocked his colleagues in the CHP – Turkish main opposition party – and the rest of Turkey‘s political class and society.
Zeyrek, 48, suffered a serious accident on 6 June at his home when he was trying to fix a problem with the electrical installation of the swimming pool, receiving an electric shock that caused him a cardiac arrest; although doctors were able to revive him 70 minutes later, he remained in a critical condition and in an induced coma for three days, until he finally died yesterday.
The news of his death caused a great commotion, and many political figures in Turkey sent messages of condolences to the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the political party to which Zeyrek belonged. Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan also expressed in a statement his ‘deep sadness over the death of Manisa Mayor Ferdy Zeyrek’, conveying his ‘condolences to his family, colleagues, the citizens of Manisa and the entire CHP party’.
Turkish media reported that the main public ceremony in memory of the late mayor took place in front of the Manisa Metropolitan City Hall itself, where his body was taken in a hearse carrying the Turkish flag and the flag of Manisaspor, the local football team of which Zeyrek was a fervent supporter.
‘Since I was 16 years old, we have always been together’
Thousands of people attended the event to accompany his grieving mother, Gülten, his widow, Nurcan Zeyrek, and daughters Nehir, Elif and Zeynep. Several political representatives also attended, including CHP Secretary General Özgür Özel and Manisa Governor Vahdettin Özkan, as well as MPs, mayors and representatives of various parties.
Amid tears, Zeyrek’s wife told those present that her husband loved Manisa and worked day and night for the city, and that his dream had always been to be mayor: “Since I was 16 years old, we have never been separated. He always told me: ‘Nurcan, stand firm, we have 3 daughters‘. I will always stand firm, his heart is with me. I ask for your forgiveness, because he was a very faithful man. I have 3 daughters, I will keep my promise, I will be a mother and a father to them… But I know that the prayers of all Manisa and Turkey are with us. May God be pleased with all of you”.
CHP leader Özgür Özel was also unable to contain his emotions during the funeral for the mayor, and confessed to those present that ‘this is the most difficult speech of my life’ when speaking about Zeyrek. Afterwards, the mayor’s body was taken to the Hatuniye Mosque, where after a religious ceremony he was buried in a family grave in the Çatal cemetery.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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