9 September celebrations canceled due to Balçova attack

Bornova Municipality has canceled the planned concerts and celebration events for Izmir’s Liberation Day on September 9 following the terrorist attack in Balçova, where two police officers were martyred and one was seriously injured. Mayor Ömer Eşki, expressing his condolences, stated: “Our nation mourns; we carry the pain of our martyrs in our hearts.” He also emphasized that Turkey must be a country that trusts its youth and seeks its future in them.

Following the attack on a police station in Izmir’s Balçova district, which claimed the lives of two officers, Bornova Municipality announced the cancellation of all 9 September Liberation Day events. Accordingly, tonight’s planned concert by Yıldırım Bekçi at the Aşık Veysel Recreation Area Amphitheater and tomorrow’s commemorations in Belkahve have been canceled.

Mayor Eşki: “Our nation mourns”

Addressing the people of Bornova after the incident, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki said:
“Dear Bornovalılar, as you know, tomorrow is September 9, the Liberation Day of Izmir. Every year on this day and before, we have celebrated in Belkahve and in the town center. However, due to the terrorist attack in Balçova, in which we lost two of our police officers, we have canceled all 9 September celebrations. Our nation mourns. We hope that Turkey will no longer be a country where its youth are terrorized, but instead a country that trusts in its young people, seeks its future in them, and looks to the future with the pride Mustafa Kemal felt when he gazed upon Izmir on the morning of September 9.”