As the dramatic toll of victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria approaches 40,000 dead on Wednesday, the Turkish Handball Federation has just announced the death of the captain of its national team Cemal Kütahya.
The lifeless body of the 32-year-old right-back was found under the rubble of his house in Antakya, in the province of Hatay. His 5-year-old son Çnar, his pregnant wife, and his mother-in-law also lost their lives. The Hatay Büyükşehir Belediyespor player, leading the Turkish championship following 15 days, was also part of the national beach handball team, and in this context finished top scorer at Euro 2019 and 2021.
A few days earlier, the body of Nilay Aydogan (30), a Turkish international 3×3 basketball player, who played this season with Çankaya, was also found dead by rescue teams in Malatya.