International Aid For Turkey: Which Countries Are Helping the Earthquake Region?

06.02.2023 - 17:27

06.02.2023 - 21:12

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş is on the agenda of Turkey. News are coming from the earthquake zone where more than 200 citizens lost their lives. The earthquake also caused destruction in neighboring provinces. A level 4 earthquake alert has been issued in Turkey and the international call for help has not gone unanswered.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake, whose epicenter was Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş, caused heavy damage in 10 provinces.

The earthquake, whose tragedy we witnessed with daylight, occurred at around 04.17 on February 6. The consequences of the earthquake, which affected Hatay, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Şanlıurfa, are getting worse by the minute.

Following the terrible earthquake in which we lost more than 200 of our citizens, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said, "We have issued a level four alert.

Search and rescue teams are also working diligently in the earthquake zone. The teams are struggling with bad weather conditions and are being helped by the countries that responded to the international call for help.

Azerbaijan was the first country to respond to Turkey's international call for aid. The country announced that it would send an aid team of 370 people to Turkey.

In his message, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said:

'We are deeply saddened by the news of the loss of many lives and destruction as a result of the severe earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, which was felt in many parts of brotherly Turkey. I express our readiness to provide all kinds of assistance in this difficult time, I express my condolences to you, the families and relatives of those who lost their lives, the brotherly people of Turkey on behalf of myself and the Azerbaijani people, I wish a speedy recovery to the wounded and wish the effects of the earthquake to disappear as soon as possible.'

Responding to our country's call, the White House said in a statement, "The United States is concerned about the devastating earthquake that occurred today in Turkey and Syria. We stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary. President Biden has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess U.S. response options to help those most affected. We will continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkey."

Janez Lenarcic, EU Commissioner for crisis management and humanitarian aid, made a statement on social media following the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

It was announced that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, of which Turkey is a participant, has mobilized following the earthquake. Lenarcic stated that search and rescue teams from the Netherlands and Romania are also on their way.