World awaits Turkish call for help, officials say thanks

In the recent aftermath of a deadly earthquake that rocked eastern Turkey and left hundreds dead on Sunday, countries have rushed to extend condolences to the traumatized country and offer to send rescue teams and humanitarian aid, even though the Turkish government has so far declined all offers in the belief that domestic efforts will be sufficient in dealing with the earthquake’s fallout.

The earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, hit the eastern province of Van on Sunday afternoon and resulted in the collapse of almost 1,000 buildings in Van and neighboring towns, triggering world leaders and a large number of countries to mobilize rescue teams and pack humanitarian aid to send to Turkey in case the country gives the green light for foreign help. Azerbaijan was the first country to send a search-and-rescue team to Turkey, and many others offered to dispatch teams and aid planes to the province that officials fear may have a death toll of as high as 1,000 after a thorough search is conducted and the rubble of the collapsed buildings is completely cleared. US President Barack Obama was one of the first leaders to extend his condolences and offer to help Turkey in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake on Sunday. He released a written statement saying that the US was following reports on Turkey’s earthquake with great concern and was ready to help. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish ally in this difficult time and are ready to assist the Turkish authorities,” the statement said in words of sympathy for the country that has so far confirmed more than 200 dead. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rushed to the eastern province on Sunday and told reporters that many countries called to express their condolences and that Turkey appreciated their words. “I would like to thank the heads of state and governments of those countries [that have offered to help],” he was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency on Monday. Erdoğan noted that the EU, the UN, NATO and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had talked to the Turkish Foreign Ministry to contribute to relief efforts, and a number of countries, including China, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Germany, Israel, the US, Hungary, Canada, Japan, Russia and Greece reached Turkish officials in a display of solidarity as they offered help to the Turkish nation. Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan called Turkish President Abdullah Gül on Sunday to reiterate that Armenia would keep rescue teams ready at Turkey’s disposal and would be able to dispatch them whenever needed. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Sunday that “Italy is always ready to help [its] ally, Turkey,” but that they are waiting on a request for aid from Turkey before their planes take off as uncoordinated aid efforts would be a further source of distress for Turkey, Anatolia reported. Other EU countries extended their offers for assistance through the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, Poland. Polish Ambassador to Turkey Macin Wilczek hosted Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış on Monday and extended the bloc’s condolences and offer for help. Marc Pierini, head of the EU Commission’s delegation to Turkey, also noted at Monday’s meeting that the commission volunteered to construct mobile houses in Van. Despite the diplomatic distance between their two countries, Israeli President Shimon Peres called his Turkish counterpart to offer his condolences, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday. “Speaking as a human being, a Jew and an Israeli who remembers and is aware of the depth of the historic relations between our two countries, I extend condolences on behalf of the entire [Israeli] people,” Peres reportedly said, adding that Israel was ready to offer any assistance possible, anywhere and at any time. Bağış reportedly relayed Turkey’s gratitude to the EU bloc for their offer of help and stated that Turkey first wanted to evaluate the damage thoroughly and then decide whether the country needed help. Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay also affirmed on Monday that the initial need for blankets, heaters and tents would be completely met by the end of the day, and the government was working systematically to direct all means of state help to the earthquake-struck city. Turkey has so far refrained from calling for international help in the fallout of the devastating disaster, with Turkish officials expressing that the country is still trying to assess the damage and hopes that Turkey will prove self-sufficient. Azerbaijan first to deliver extensive aid after quake, others follow An Azerbaijani plane was the first help dispatched to Van from a foreign country, carrying a 145-member health team and search dogs to contribute to relief efforts, Anatolia reported on Monday. The plane sent by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency was the first to reach Turkey, less than 24 hours after the earthquake. The plane landed early Monday morning, carrying 350 tents, 3,000 blankets, 700 beds, two mobile kitchens and a 20-member professional relief team, Anatolia stated. Pakistan followed suit with a cargo plane that brought medicine, tents, a team of medical doctors and paramedics to the earthquake zone on Monday, following a statement issued by the Pakistani Embassy to Turkey that Pakistan was “feeling the pain of [its] Turkish brothers and sisters affected by [the] massive earthquake in eastern Turkey” and therefore a plane would be sent immediately to help survivors. Turkish media noted that help from Iran and Bulgaria also reached Van before the country decided international help may not be necessary. Two Russian planes were also expected to take off for Turkey on Monday, with a load of rescue teams, search dogs, psychologists and a mobile hospital to help shoulder the treatment of more than 1,000 wounded survivors. Russian leaders, including the prime minister and president, called their Turkish counterparts to emphasize that Russia was ready to mobilize all efforts and stands by Turkey in this hardest of times. A visiting Korean warship called Kang Gam Chan arrived in İstanbul on Monday to commemorate the Korean War, in which Turkey was one of the sides fighting alongside the Koreans and lost close to 1,000 people, while several thousand returned home wounded. The ship’s crew delivered cash aid in the amount of $6,000, collected among the crew as a meaningful contribution to relief efforts.

In the recent aftermath of a deadly earthquake that rocked eastern Turkey and left hundreds dead on Sunday, countries have rushed to extend condolences to the traumatized country and offer to send rescue teams and humanitarian aid, even though the Turkish government has so far declined all offers in the belief that domestic efforts will be sufficient in dealing with the earthquake’s fallout.

The earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, hit the eastern province of Van on Sunday afternoon and resulted in the collapse of almost 1,000 buildings in Van and neighboring towns, triggering world leaders and a large number of countries to mobilize rescue teams and pack humanitarian aid to send to Turkey in case the country gives the green light for foreign help. Azerbaijan was the first country to send a search-and-rescue team to Turkey, and many others offered to dispatch teams and aid planes to the province that officials fear may have a death toll of as high as 1,000 after a thorough search is conducted and the rubble of the collapsed buildings is completely cleared.

US President Barack Obama was one of the first leaders to extend his condolences and offer to help Turkey in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake on Sunday. He released a written statement saying that the US was following reports on Turkey’s earthquake with great concern and was ready to help. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish ally in this difficult time and are ready to assist the Turkish authorities,” the statement said in words of sympathy for the country that has so far confirmed more than 200 dead.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rushed to the eastern province on Sunday and told reporters that many countries called to express their condolences and that Turkey appreciated their words. “I would like to thank the heads of state and governments of those countries [that have offered to help],” he was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency on Monday. Erdoğan noted that the EU, the UN, NATO and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had talked to the Turkish Foreign Ministry to contribute to relief efforts, and a number of countries, including China, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Germany, Israel, the US, Hungary, Canada, Japan, Russia and Greece reached Turkish officials in a display of solidarity as they offered help to the Turkish nation. Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan called Turkish President Abdullah Gül on Sunday to reiterate that Armenia would keep rescue teams ready at Turkey’s disposal and would be able to dispatch them whenever needed. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Sunday that “Italy is always ready to help [its] ally, Turkey,” but that they are waiting on a request for aid from Turkey before their planes take off as uncoordinated aid efforts would be a further source of distress for Turkey, Anatolia reported.

Other EU countries extended their offers for assistance through the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, Poland. Polish Ambassador to Turkey Macin Wilczek hosted Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış on Monday and extended the bloc’s condolences and offer for help. Marc Pierini, head of the EU Commission’s delegation to Turkey, also noted at Monday’s meeting that the commission volunteered to construct mobile houses in Van.

Despite the diplomatic distance between their two countries, Israeli President Shimon Peres called his Turkish counterpart to offer his condolences, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday. “Speaking as a human being, a Jew and an Israeli who remembers and is aware of the depth of the historic relations between our two countries, I extend condolences on behalf of the entire [Israeli] people,” Peres reportedly said, adding that Israel was ready to offer any assistance possible, anywhere and at any time. Bağış reportedly relayed Turkey’s gratitude to the EU bloc for their offer of help and stated that Turkey first wanted to evaluate the damage thoroughly and then decide whether the country needed help. Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay also affirmed on Monday that the initial need for blankets, heaters and tents would be completely met by the end of the day, and the government was working systematically to direct all means of state help to the earthquake-struck city.

Turkey has so far refrained from calling for international help in the fallout of the devastating disaster, with Turkish officials expressing that the country is still trying to assess the damage and hopes that Turkey will prove self-sufficient.

Azerbaijan first to deliver extensive aid after quake, others follow
An Azerbaijani plane was the first help dispatched to Van from a foreign country, carrying a 145-member health team and search dogs to contribute to relief efforts, Anatolia reported on Monday.

The plane sent by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency was the first to reach Turkey, less than 24 hours after the earthquake. The plane landed early Monday morning, carrying 350 tents, 3,000 blankets, 700 beds, two mobile kitchens and a 20-member professional relief team, Anatolia stated.

Pakistan followed suit with a cargo plane that brought medicine, tents, a team of medical doctors and paramedics to the earthquake zone on Monday, following a statement issued by the Pakistani Embassy to Turkey that Pakistan was “feeling the pain of [its] Turkish brothers and sisters affected by [the] massive earthquake in eastern Turkey” and therefore a plane would be sent immediately to help survivors. Turkish media noted that help from Iran and Bulgaria also reached Van before the country decided international help may not be necessary.

Two Russian planes were also expected to take off for Turkey on Monday, with a load of rescue teams, search dogs, psychologists and a mobile hospital to help shoulder the treatment of more than 1,000 wounded survivors. Russian leaders, including the prime minister and president, called their Turkish counterparts to emphasize that Russia was ready to mobilize all efforts and stands by Turkey in this hardest of times. A visiting Korean warship called Kang Gam Chan arrived in İstanbul on Monday to commemorate the Korean War, in which Turkey was one of the sides fighting alongside the Koreans and lost close to 1,000 people, while several thousand returned home wounded. The ship’s crew delivered cash aid in the amount of $6,000, collected among the crew as a meaningful contribution to relief efforts.