Page 17 - Turkey

Death toll rises to 8 as 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Turkiye-Syria

The death toll in Turkiye and Syria rose to eight in a new and powerful earthquake that struck two weeks after a devastating temblor killed nearly 45,000 people, authorities and media said Tuesday. Turkiye's disaster management authority said six people were killed and 294 others were injured with 18 in critical condition after Monday's 6.4-magnitude quake. In Syria, a woman and a girl died as a result of panic during the earthquake in the provinces of Hama and Tartus, pro-government media outlets said. The earthquake's epicentre was in the town of Defne, in Turkiye's Hatay province, which borders Syria. It was also felt in Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and as far away as Egypt, and followed by a second, magnitude 5.8 temblor, and dozens of aftershocks. Hatay was one of the worst-hit provinces in Turkey in the magnitude 7.8 quake that struck on Feb. 6. Thousands of buildings were destroyed in the province and Monday's quake further damaged buildings. The governor's office in .

Mobilisation of hospital in short time shows India's preparedness: Army Gen

Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Tuesday said the force is proud of its medical team for rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to quake-hit Turkiye, and asserted that the mobilisation of a field hospital in short time indicates the team's operational preparedness. He said this after interacting with members of the Indian Army's medical team that has returned to the country after rendering extensive services to a large number of earthquake-hit people in Turkiye's Iskenderun region. The event was hosted at Nalanda Auditorium in the premises of the Army Base Hospital at Delhi Cantonment. "We are proud of our medical team for rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to quake-hit people in Turkiye," Gen Pande said. India launched 'Operation Dost' to extend assistance to Turkiye as well as Syria after various parts of the two countries were hit by a devastating earthquake on February 6 that has killed over 30,000 people. "#IndianArmy Medical Facility at Iskende

Infectious diseases a near-term concern in quake-hit Turkey, Syria: ECDC

The next two to four weeks may see the emergence and spread of infectious diseases in the quake-hit areas of Turkey and Syria, the Stockholm-based ECDC said

3 dead, more than 200 injured as new earthquake hits Turkey, Syria

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu says three people were killed and 213 injured in the new magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Turkiye and Syria Monday. Search and rescue efforts were underway in three collapsed buildings where a total of five people were believed trapped. The new earthquake struck parts of Turkiye and Syria that were laid waste two weeks ago by a massive quake that killed around 45,000 people. Officials said more buildings collapsed, trapping occupants, and several people were injured in both countries, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities. Monday's earthquake was centered in the town of Defne, in Turkiye's Hatay province, one the worst-hit regions in the magnitude 7.8 quake that hit on Feb. 6. It was felt in Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, Israel and as far away as Egypt, and was followed by a second, magnitude 5.8 temblor. A number of buildings collapsed in the new quake, trapping people inside, Hatay's mayor Lutfu Savas said. He told NTV television

Turkey rejects links between Sweden, Finland NATO accession and F-16 deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called for Sweden and Finland to be accepted into NATO as quickly as possible, although his Turkish counterpart dismissed the possibility of any link between their accession and Turkiye's request for F-16 fighter jets. Turkiye has delayed the Nordic countries admission to the trans-Atlantic defense alliance, citing concerns over terrorism. Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Congress have tied approval of the F-16 deal to Ankara retracting its opposition to the NATO enlargement. We're confident that NATO will formally welcome them in soon, Blinken told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. And when that happens, it will enhance the security of every NATO member, including the United States, including Turkiye." Cavusoglu repeated Turkiye's position that it would be willing to approve Finland joining NATO before Sweden. Turkiye has complained about what it sees as Stockholm's tolerance of support for

Powerful earthquake of 6.4 magnitude hits Turkey's Hatay province again

Another powerful earthquake has struck Turkiye's Hatay province which was devastated by a massive tremor two week ago. Turkiye's disaster management agency, AFAD, said the magnitude 6.4-earthquake was centered around the town of Defne, in Hatay province. NTV television said the quake caused some damaged buildings to collapse, but there were no immediate reports of any casualties. Turkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency said the quake was felt in Syria, Jordan, Israel and Egypt. The magnitude 7.8 which struck Feb. 6 has killed nearly 45,000 people in Turkiye and Syria. Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks since.

Turkey rejects links between Sweden, Finland's entry to Nato, F-16 deal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called for Sweden and Finland to be accepted into NATO as quickly as possible, although his Turkish counterpart dismissed the possibility of any link between their accession and Turkiye's request for F-16 fighter jets. Turkiye has delayed the Nordic countries' admission to the trans-Atlantic defense alliance, citing concerns over terrorism. Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Congress have tied approval of the F-16 deal to Ankara retracting its opposition to the NATO enlargement. We're confident that NATO will formally welcome them in soon, Blinken told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. And when that happens, it will enhance the security of every NATO member, including the United States, including Turkiye." Cavusoglu repeated Turkiye's stance that it would be willing to approve Finland joining NATO before Sweden. Turkiye has complained about what it sees as Stockholm's tolerance of support fo

Over 10,000 Syrian refugees return to homeland after earthquake: Official

The minister refuted the allegations that Syrians were flooding into the Turkish border after the massive earthquakes which also hit northern Syria, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported

Final NDRF team under Operation Dost returns from Turkey as rescue ends

The final National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team under Operation Dost returns home from Turkey after Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) announced the end of rescue operations.Under Operation Dost 3 teams of 151 NDRFHQ personnel and dog squads extended assistance to earthquake-affected Turkey.NDRF Teams executed search, rescue and relief operations including life detection in 35 worksites of Nurdagi and Antakya."Final NDRF team under #OperationDost returns home from Turkiye. 3 Teams of 151@NDRFHQ personnel & dog squads extended assistance to earthquake-affected Turkiye. Teams executed search, rescue & relief operations including life detection in 35 worksites of Nurdagi & Antakya," tweeted the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi.Meanwhile, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) on Saturday said that search and rescue operations have ended in most provinces nearly two weeks after this month's

Quake death toll in Turkey over 40,000; search & rescue efforts to end soon

A total of 430,000 people were evacuated from the earthquake area

Finland's defence minister says his country could join NATO ahead of Sweden

Finland's defence minister said Saturday that his country will join NATO without waiting for Sweden if its Nordic neighbour's accession is held up by the Turkish government. Mikko Savola told The Associated Press on Saturday that Finland would prefer that the two countries join the alliance together, but it wouldn't hold up the process if Turkey decides to approve Finland, but not Sweden, as it has warned. No, no. Then we will join, Savola said in an interview on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich. Since they broke with decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland and Sweden have insisted they want to join NATO together. But Turkey's reluctance to accept Sweden unless it steps up pressure on Kurdish exile groups has made it more likely the two will have to join the alliance at different speeds. Sweden is our closest partner, Savola said. Almost every week our defence forces are practising together and so on. It's a very deep

A crisis within a crisis: Why aid to quake-hit Syria has been slow

A war-battered Syria is dealing with a crisis in the wake of the earthquakes that struck Turkey and northwestern Syria in early February 2023. The task of delivering aid to all parts of Syria was fraught with daunting political and logistical challenges even before the earthquake. Watch the video to know why sending aid to Syria has been slow. #syria #earthquake #turkey #aid #relief #rescue

Two NDRF teams deployed in earthquake-hit Turkiye return to India

Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams that undertook rescue operations in earthquake-hit Turkiye returned to India on Friday, officials said. A total of three NDRF teams were sent to the quake-affected country on February 7 following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directive to offer all possible assistance to that country. "Two teams comprising about 100 personnel have come back from Turkiye onboard IAF aircraft on Friday. The last team that has about 50 rescuers is expected to be here by Saturday," NDRF deputy inspector general (DIG) Mohsen Shahedi told PTI. Another officer said the NDRF rescuers, along with four canines, landed at the Hindon Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Ghaziabad after they were de-inducted from operation 'Dost' in Turkiye. As per official figures, the NDRF personnel brought out two survivors, girls aged 6 and 8, and retrieved 85 bodies from the flattened buildings in Nurdagi in Gaziantep province of Turkiye. They also provided medical assistance t

Key developments in the aftermath of the Turkiye, Syria earthquake

Rescuers have pulled more survivors from the debris of the Feb. 6 earthquake that devastated parts of Turkiye and Syria even as the window for finding people alive is closing fast. Here's a look at the key developments Friday from the aftermath of the earthquake. DEATH TOLL RISES The Turkish disaster management agency has updated the death toll from the powerful earthquake in Turkiye to 38,044, raising the overall number of fatalities in both Turkiye and Syria to 41,732. The death toll is certain to increase further as search teams retrieve more bodies amid the devastation. The powerful 7.8 earthquake has become Turkiye's deadliest disaster in modern history. MORE SURVIVORS RESCUED More than 10 days after the powerful earthquake struck, rescuers overnight pulled out a child, a woman and two men alive from wreckage. The latest rescues came as crews began clearing up debris in cities devastated by the earthquake. Neslihan Kilic, a 29-year-old mother of two, was removed from the

Turkish Earthquake: Millions of victims sleep in trains, tents, greenhouses

Nearly two weeks after a massive earthquake levelled tens of thousands of buildings and displaced millions of people in Turkiye and Syria, many are still struggling to fulfil their basic needs and some are bedding down in tents, factories, train cars and greenhouses. People pushed from their homes in the disaster zone described a wide range of conditions: Some were able to find regular hot showers, while others feared freezing to death. The Turkish government and dozens of aid groups have launched a massive relief effort. The government said Wednesday that more than 5,400 shipping containers have been deployed as shelters and over 200,000 tents dispatched. But it's facing a massive disaster. The government says at least 56,000 buildings, containing more than 225,000 homes, were either destroyed by the Feb. 6 quake or too damaged to be used. There is no official figure for the number of people displaced in Turkiye's side of the disaster region, which is home to some 14 million, or 16

Here are key developments in the aftermath of Turkey, Syria earthquake

Rescuers have pulled more survivors from the debris of the February 6 earthquake that devastated parts of Turkiye and Syria even as the window for finding people alive is closing fast. Here's a look at the key developments Friday from the aftermath of the earthquake. DEATH TOLL RISES The Turkish disaster management agency has updated the death toll from the powerful earthquake in Turkiye to 38,044, raising the overall number of fatalities in both Turkiye and Syria to 41,732. The death toll is certain to increase further as search teams retrieve more bodies amid the devastation. The powerful 7.8 earthquake has become Turkiye's deadliest disaster in modern history. MORE SURVIVORS RESCUED More than 10 days after the powerful earthquake struck, rescuers overnight pulled out a child, a woman and two men alive from wreckage. The latest rescues came as crews began clearing up debris in cities devastated by the earthquake. Neslihan Kilic, a 29-year-old mother of two, was removed from

Death toll in Turkey-Syria quake surpasses 41,000; rescue efforts continue

Millions of people who survived the quake need humanitarian aid, authorities say, with many survivors left homeless in near-freezing winter temperatures

UN chief calls for international support for people in quake-hit Turkey

Turkey is home to the largest number of refugees in the world and has shown enormous generosity to its Syrian neighbors for years, he noted

Turkey quake revives longstanding debate over nuclear plant being built

A devastating earthquake that toppled buildings across parts of Turkiye and neighbouring Syria has revived a longstanding debate locally and in neighbouring Cyprus about a large nuclear power station being built on Turkiye's southern Mediterranean coastline. The plant's site in Akkuyu, located some 210 miles (338 kilometres) and 245 miles (394 kilometres) to the west of the February 6 tremors' epicentres, is being designed to endure powerful tremors and did not sustain any damage or experience powerful ground shaking from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks. But the size of the quake the deadliest in Turkiye's modern history sharpened existing concerns about the facility being built on the edge of a major fault line. Rosatom, Russia's state-owned company in charge of the project, says the power station is designed to withstand extreme external influences from a magnitude 9 earthquake. In nuclear power plant construction, plants are designed to survive shaking that is mor

Combined death toll in Turkey-Syria earthquake surpasses 41,000

Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said 195,962 people have been evacuated