Turkish TFF First League side Yeni Malatyaspor have paid tribute to goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan after his death from Monday’s devastating earthquake. He was 28 and died after being trapped under the collapse of a building, the club said on Twitter.
Thousands of people were killed in the country and its neighboring Syria after two massive earthquakes hit, with tremors spreading across Turkey. One quake was registered as 7.8, classified as major on the scale, while another was 7.5 and less than five miles deep.
The deadly quake was centered north of Gaziantep, home to over two million people, and shook neighbouring Syria as well. The quake was followed by a series of aftershocks and is believed to have caused widespread damage, with thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed.
Ahmet Eyup Türkaslan, born in Gaziantep on March 31, 1999, began his career in the Turkish youth ranks and went through the ranks of Bugsasspor before moving on to Osmanlispor. He made his professional debut for them in June 2017, losing 4-0 to Besiktas, and stayed there until signing with Umraniyespor in 2020.
He appeared in six official matches for Yeni Malatyaspor, who he joined from Umraniyespor. He played in the Cup during the 2021-2022 academic year and also started for the club in a league game.
Aside from playing football, Turkaslan was an active social media user and a member of the football community. He posted about his love for the sport and urged others to help those in need.
