Turkey’s Ambassador to India, Firat Sunel, has termed India as a Dost for reaching out with a helping hand for Turkey after three earthquakes hit the country in 24 hours. Accordingly, he took to his social media to thank India with the words, “A friend in need’s a friend indeed.”
Meanwhile, the union minister of external affairs, V Muraleedharan, visited the Embassy of Turkey following the earthquakes. He expressed his condolences for the lives lost in the natural disaster. He also conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sympathies.
Accordingly, the government of India held a special meeting. During the conference, the Prime Minister’s office announced they would dispatch relief materials, search and rescue teams and medical teams to the earthquake-hit areas.
India is ready to dispatch two teams of the National Disaster Relief Force. The two teams have 100 personnel with specially trained dog squads and necessary equipment. Meanwhile, in a statement, the Prime Minister’s office announced that they are preparing medical teams. Additionally, they announced that India would dispatch trained medics and paramedics along with other relief materials by coordinating with the government of Turkey.
Accordingly, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra also held a meeting in the south block to discuss immediate relief measures. Representatives of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence forces, the external affairs ministry (MEA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), NDRF, and well as the ministries of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) formed the parts of the various deliberations surrounding the Turkey Earthquakes.
Reports suggest that the earthquake was one of the worst to hit Turkey in over a century. The City of Gaziantep in south-central Turkey was the epicentre of the earthquakes. The United States Geological Survey reports recorded 24 aftershocks of earthquakes in Turkey. Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Jordan, Cyprus, Iraq and as far away as Romania, Georgia and Egypt, were affected due to the earthquakes.