The Turkish government has thanked the Saudi government and people for the relief and humanitarian efforts offered in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Turkiye a few days ago. In an official statement, the Turkish government said "We are thankful for the support and solidarity of the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its brotherly people. Several planes carrying Saudi humanitarian, relief, and medical aid have arrived in various affected areas in Turkiye, and Saudi search and rescue teams are working side by side with their Turkish peers. Receiving support and solidarity from brotherly countries is extremely important at such a difficult time, and Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries to support us". According to the statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan mentioned Saudi Arabia in particular among the countries that have provided and will continue to provide support to Turkiye at this difficult time. King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), in implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, and Prime Minister, has launched a national campaign through "Sahem" platform to help the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkiye, which has raised, so far, SR254,987,681, with the number of donors amounting to 731,005. The Turkish authorities described the earthquake that hit Turkiye on February 6, as the "Disaster of this century." The statement added "Two big earthquakes with the magnitudes of 7,7 and 7,6 centered in Kahramanmaraş province took place on 6 February 2023. This was followed by over 1500 aftershocks. More than ten cities suffered damage and destruction. These series of earthquakes have impacted a vast area. The main difference that distinguishes this earthquake from the Great Erzincan Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9, which was recorded as the most severe earthquake that occurred in Türkiye 84 years ago is that, these earthquakes were independent and occurred with a 9-hour difference between them and that they, along with their aftershocks, were felt heavily throughout many regions of Türkiye and in other countries. In that sense, these earthquakes of 6 February could be well considered the "Disaster of this century". According to the statement, a total of 18,991 people lost their lives in the earthquake in Türkiye and 75,523 people got injured and 6,444 buildings collapsed, adding that in the aftermath of the earthquakes, search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the earthquake-affected areas and that the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency), governorships and all other institutions began taking necessary measures. The Turkish President also confirmed that the Turkish government has taken the necessary measures with all its institutions since the moment of the earthquake, and all capabilities have been mobilized and harnessed, said the statement, adding that following the earthquake, a Level-4 alert was declared, which includes international aid. So far, 97 countries have offered assistance and 61 of them are on the ground to join the search and rescue and other medical operations, said the statement. —SPA 20:39 LOCAL TIME 17:39 GMT 0014 www.spa.gov.sa/w1852806
