Ministry of Youth and Sports has issued a statement mourning the passing of the late Christian Atsu who has been found dead after days of intense search in Hatay.
Atsu was confirmed dead in the early hours of Saturday morning after being trapped under rubble for 12 days.
The news was also confirmed by the Ghanaian agent of the player on social media.
Ministry of Youth and Sports statement reads:
"The Ministry of Youth and Sports has learnt with sadness, the discovery of the remains of Christian Atsu from the rubbles of his apartment, following the earthquake in Turkey. The tragic passing of Christian Atsu, a committed servant of our national football team, has left the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the sports fraternity and indeed, the nation in grief. We extend our deepest condolences to his widow, family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace,"
Atsu won his first senior cap for the Ghana national team on 1 June 2012 against Lesotho, scoring in the process.
The following year, he was in the Ghanaian squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. He started the first match, a 2–2 draw against the DR Congo, and was a substitute in the following 1–0 win over Mali.
Atsu was selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad, starting in all the matches as Ghana was eliminated in the group stage.
At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Atsu scored twice in a 3–0 win over Guinea in the quarter-finals.