From Von der Leyen to the White House to Russia, solidarity with the affected country
“Full solidarity with the people of Turkey and Syria after the terrible earthquake this morning. We join the pain of the families of the victims. Europe’s support is already on the way and we are ready to continue helping in any way we can”. The president of the European Commission wrote it on Twitter Ursula von der Leyen after the announcement of the departure for Turkey of a first team of Romanian and Dutch rescuers.
The EU is ready to help Turkey and Syria, the president of the European Council also assures Charles Michael and the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Joseph Borrell. “A devastating earthquake shook Turkey and Syria this morning, killing hundreds of people and injuring many more. Our thoughts are with the people of Turkey and Syria. The EU stands ready to help”, writes Borrell on twitter. And Michel: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquake that hit parts of Turkey and Syria. I express my deepest condolences to the many families who lost their lives and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. The EU fully supports with you”.
Europe “stands with the peoples of Turkey and Syria in this moment of difficulty”, says the president of the European Parliament via social media Roberta Metsola. “My thoughts go to the people killed, to the people trapped” under the rubble, “to the injured and to all the rescuers, who are doing their utmost to save lives”.
Even the president of the EPP and the popular parliamentary group Manfred Weber he expressed his “deepest condolences” to the “families of the victims and all those affected. Europe will help in any way it can”. For the leader of the Socialists and Democrats Iratxe Garcia Perez “we are all deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which has claimed hundreds of lives”.
“Ten urban search and rescue teams were quickly mobilised from Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania to support first responders on the ground,” said Borrell and Emergencies Commissioner Janez Lenarcic.
“Italy and Hungary – they add – have also offered their rescue teams to Turkey. The EU emergency response coordination center is in direct contact with the Turkish authorities to coordinate further support, if necessary”.
The EU’s Copernicus satellite system, Borrell and Lenarcic continue, “has also been activated to provide emergency mapping services. The EU is also ready to support those affected in Syria, which has also suffered casualties, through the humanitarian assistance programs. Our thoughts go out to all those who have lost loved ones and to the brave first responders working to save lives.”
USA – The United States is “deeply concerned about the destructive earthquake” that has hit Syria and Turkey and is ready to provide all necessary assistance,” White House National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan said in a statement. President Joe Biden has instructed aid agency USAID and other federal government partners to evaluate the US response to help those most affected.
BORN – “Full solidarity with our ally Turkey after the terrible earthquake. I am in contact with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. NATO allies are mobilizing their support”. The secretary general of the Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg writes it on twitter.
UKRAINE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy assures that his country is ready to provide any aid to the “friendly” Turkish people following the night’s earthquake. On twitter Zelensky, in saying he was “shocked” by the news of the earthquake, offered his condolences to the Turkish president Recep Tayyip and the families of the victims: “We are close to the friendly Turkish people right now and ready to provide any necessary assistance”. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine Turkey has played an important mediating role between Moscow and Kiev.
RUSSIA – Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a telegram to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad to express his condolences. “We share the sadness and pain of those who have lost their relatives and friends, we hope for a speedy recovery of all the victims and we are ready to provide the necessary assistance,” Putin wrote, according to Russian news agencies.
Putin will speak by phone with Erdogan in the next few hours to coordinate Russia’s aid delivery to the country, the Kremlin said after Putin spoke with Bashar Assad. “The Russian side has also informed the Turkish leadership through the appropriate channels of its readiness to send aid immediately,” the Russian presidency specified, quoted by the Tass news agency.
CHINA – Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent condolence messages to the Turkish President and the Syrian President. Xi stressed that under the leadership of Erdogan and Assad, the two countries and peoples will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes as soon as possible.
ISRAEL – Israel will send aid to Turkey, but also to Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said, explaining that the request for help to Syria came through diplomatic channels. “A request has been received for the many who have been injured in the earthquake in Syria,” Netanyahu said, adding that he had given instructions for this to be done. According to Israeli media, the request came via Russia. However, Moscow’s embassy in Israel declined to comment, reports the Times of Israel.
Israel plans to send tents, medicines and blankets. There is also a willingness to welcome and treat wounded Syrians. Israel considers Syria a hostile state and the two neighboring countries have no diplomatic ties. However, Syrian citizens have already been treated in Israel in the bloodiest phases of the civil war.
Instead, there are diplomatic relations with Turkey and there has been a recent rapprochement after years of tensions. A first team of Israeli rescue and rescue experts has already departed for Turkey with the primary task of assessing the situation on the ground. A second mission with medical and search and rescue teams will soon follow, as part of the operation called “olive branch”.
Source-www.adnkronos.com