Yeni Malatyaspor goalkeeper dies in rubble

MALATYA

Turkish goalkeeper Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan has died following Feb. 6’s earthquake in the country’s south, the 28-year-old’s club, second division Yeni Malatyaspor, has confirmed.

“Our goalkeeper lost his life under the rubble,” the eastern province of Malatya team tweeted on Feb. 7, adding: “Rest in peace. We will not forget you, beautiful person.”

The goalkeeper joined Yeni Malatyaspor last July on a free transfer from Istanbul side Ümraniyespor. It was the club’s coach, Yılmaz Vural, who confirmed the goalkeeper’s death to the media.

The emergency services managed to save his wife, but Türkaslan lost his life in the rubble, according to Yılmaz.

Vural had given all of his players two days off after the match, so most of them weren’t in Malatya when the natural disaster occurred. Türkaslan, however, had stayed.

He had played in two cup games this season, which resulted in a draw and a win for the Malatya club. The club are currently bottom of the second division and are two points off the bottom of the table.

Over 8,500 people have been killed and over 50,000 others injured in 10 provinces of Türkiye after two strong earthquakes jolted the country’s southern belt.

Meanwhile, Demirören News Agency reporter İzzet Nazlı, his wife Seda Nazlı (30) and their children Esila (5) and Ahmet Eren (10) lost their lives in the quake-hit province Hatay.

The shake caught the 33-year-old man and his family asleep at night early on Feb. 6. Rescue teams and volunteers found the bodies of the Nazlı family, who were stuck under the rubble following the demolition of their apartment in the neighborhood of Cebrail in Antakya district.