**Funerals Held for Four Victims of Kyrenia Ferry Disaster, Including 14-Year-Old Girl**
Kyrenia, Cyprus – On Tuesday, the community mourned as funerals were held for four individuals who lost their lives in the tragic sinking of a passenger ferry off the coast of Kyrenia on Sunday. Among the deceased was 14-year-old Nisa Torer, who was laid to rest in her hometown of Mersin, Turkey.
Nisa had traveled to Cyprus for a holiday with her father, 43-year-old Ferdi Torer, and her two younger brothers, Yusuf and Yunus. While both Yusuf and Yunus managed to reach the shore safely, their father, Ferdi, remains unaccounted for three days after the incident. The family is grappling with the loss of their mother, Gunes Torer, who passed away from cancer in 2022.
The funerals also included Huseyin Ozdemir, who was buried in Silifke, Mersin province. He had traveled to Cyprus to attend a wedding, accompanied by his wife Serif, their daughters Sengul and Kamuran, and son-in-law Hakki. Serif is among those still missing following the disaster.
Another victim, Nihat Balyemez, was interred in Gaziantep. His friend, Mehmet Tuga, who survived the sinking, recounted that Balyemez had sustained a head injury while attempting to escape the ferry as it began to sink, likely leading to his untimely death.
Reyhan Verim was also remembered during a funeral service held in Silifke, attended by various dignitaries, including Mersin province governor Atilla Toros and MP Gulcan Kis, as well as Turkish Cypriot diplomatic representative Uruk Alemdar.
The ferry disaster has claimed a total of eight lives, with 20 individuals still officially reported as missing. The incident has sent shockwaves through the local and international communities, prompting an outpouring of condolences and support for the affected families.
As search and rescue operations continue, authorities are working diligently to locate the missing individuals and provide assistance to the families impacted by this tragic event.