The Istanbul municipality on Friday announced it was canceling celebrations marking the New Year in respect of the victims of Asia's earthquake and tsunami disaster. Each year, thousands of people gather in Istanbul's Taksim square, for free concerts and fire displays to celebrate the New Year.
A statement from the mayor's office, quoted by international news agencies, said the festivities would not go ahead this year despite months of preparations. "The fact that the (disaster) occurred thousands of kilometers away from our country does not lessen the pain reflected in our hearts," Mayor Kadir Topbas said in his statement.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry devlared 61 Turks are unaccounted for throughout the affected region, including 32 in Thailand. More than 120,000 people are reported dead around southern Asia and Africa's eastern coast.
