By Janet Ekstract
İSTANBUL- In a live televised address on Tuesday afternoon, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month State of Emergency in 10 provinces severely affected by a series of major earthquakes and 280 aftershocks on Monday. Immediately after Monday’s quakes, the Turkish president issued a Level 4 alert to request international assistance. Erdogan explained that 100 billion TL has been allotted for assistance in the affected areas and that over 65 countries have offered their help. Currently, at least 20 countries have deployed international assistance, the Israeli Defense Force team arrived late Monday night and India sent a rescue team along with Pakistan who sent a full load of equipment from its country. Pakistan’s prime minister will be in Turkiye on Wednesday visiting Erdogan during this tense situation. The Turkish leader also said that 50,000 beds have been made available in hotels in Antalya for those who lost their homes which is estimated to be at least a million and a half people.
Turkiye’s Minister of the Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Murat Kurum said on Tuesday: “This earthquake has directly affected 13.5 million citizens. The focus is on saving lives. We’re operating on a no regrets basis with incidents management teams. We have activated emergency medical teams to provide healthcare for the injured and most vulnerable.” As for the damage in the provinces, Antakya was hit so hard that over 1,000 buildings were destroyed. Currently, there’s a coordination center there that is providing hot meals, medical attention and every single neighborhood has had major damage as TRT World reported from the ground on Tuesday. Many NGOs and volunteers and many workers are pitching in with shelter, food, heating and clothing with all needs being met step by step. The Turkish president said 54,000 tents, 2,000 beds and a multitude of other necessities have been dispatched to the region to help the victims. Erdogan said: “To support the administrations, we have dispatched other governors and local administrators as regards operations related to the earthquake. In every city, one minister is supervising all the activities” The Turkish leader added: “We are in contact with our friends our colleagues and we are following every development at the office of the presidency” He added that it’s of “vital importance that supplies are delivered quickly and that drones can assess the extent of the 110,000 kilometer swath of devastation that two major quakes caused.
More than 12,000 search and rescue operatives are currently on the ground in hard-hit quake areas and experts say what needs to happen now is an “intensification of rescue effort” because the first 72 hours are crucial to pull survivors from the collapsed building rubble. Some rescue operations can take as long as 28 hours and the overall plan is to rescue those from the top of the rubble where it’s easier to find survivors then rescue personnel will work their way down to those further under masses of rubble. At least 5,700 buildings have collapsed with another 11,000 buildings most likely destroyed in the quakes. A major challenge are remaining buildings that have been weakened by the quake whose structure’s stability is questionable. Coordinating additional help within Turkiye is the country’s national disaster organization AFAD who set up a registration center at the Istanbul Airport for volunteers from all over Turkiye that include medics, paramedics, translators even teachers. TRT World spoke to teacher Betul Arslan who has been waiting at the airport to volunteer in whatever way she can she said. Arslan said at least 100 teachers have volunteered to assist in the hardest hit provinces. When asked why she volunteered, Arslan explained: “How can I wait here without doing anything, this affected my decision.”
Meanwhile, President of Global Empowerment Mission Michael Capponi whose humanitarian organization has assisted a plethora of countries including currently working out of Ukraine. told TRT World: “We’ve been working directly with the embassy in D.C. and consulate in Miami. We have large warehouses in Florida of aid that is pre-wrapped and ready. It will be a 10 million contribution from our organization, distributed with local agencies.” He added that aid includes food, hygiene products, blankets, shelters, bedding and all different types of supplies “that large American companies donate to us on an annual basis. We’re taking half of the whole warehouse supplies and putting it on Turkish planes to take to Turkiye.” Capponi added that he’s already got a team on the ground in Turkiye and they will be setting up proper infrastructure. He said he’s been in Ukraine’s capital non-stop coordinating assistance since last February when Russia invaded Ukraine. Capponi commented: “Everyone is sending help, hope and praying for Turkiye’s recovery.”
