Dozens of red balloons speckle the rubble of a destroyed building alongside a main road in Türkiye’s quake-hit south.
They are the final tribute to children killed by the earthquake that devastated Antakya, according to Ogun Sever Okur, who is behind the memorial.
The effect is striking, the bright balloons contrasting starkly with the dusty grey of the rubble and twisted metal that once made up a nine-floor building.
Against the monochrome backdrop, a handful of possessions attest to the young lives lost in the earthquake.
A purple toy emblazoned with cartoon images of Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse lies forgotten near a pink scooter and a fuchsia anorak decorated with love hearts.
“Three children died here. They were 18 months, four years and six years old,” Ogun Sever Okur said.
Okur — who grows roses and is a photographer — volunteered as a rescuer in the days after the earthquake in his hometown of Adana, before heading to Antakya, 200 kilometres away.
