Turkey and Syria: powerful earthquakes leave more than 3,700 dead


The earth trembled at dawn on the border between Turkey and Syria with a violence hardly seen in the last century. There were two devastating earthquakes.

According to the US Geological Survey, the first earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, reached a magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale and reduced thousands of buildings to rubble. Nine hours later, a second earthquake hit central Turkey with a magnitude of 7.5, also according to the US agency. The devastating magnitude 7.8 tremor was felt even as far away as Greenland.

For many, this earthquake is the most important in Turkey since the earthquake of August 17, 1999, which caused 17,000 deaths, a thousand of them in Istanbul.

After the two large earthquakes, up to 145 tremors occurred. Turkey is located in one of the most active seismic zones in the world. Experts have long warned that a major quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread construction without precautions.

Attendance. Thousands of children soon received help. Photo: AFP

Due to the time the earthquake occurred, at dawn, most people were sleeping. “We thought it was the apocalypse,” she declared to AFP the reporter Melisa Salman, who lives in Kahramanmaras (Turkey), epicenter of the earthquake.

“We have been out since 4:30 in the morning. It is raining, but no one dares to return to her house for fear of new aftershocks, ”added this 23-year-old.

In some Syrian cities the outlook is bleak. “Wake up, son”, repeats a man while lulling the inanimate body of his child in the Syrian town of Jindires, destroyed by the earthquake.

“Ya Allah, ya Allah” [Dios mío]he says, kissing his son’s forehead. “He took my heart away,” she blurts out between tears.

More than 40 houses collapsed like a house of cards in this city on the border with Turkey.

With the help of pickaxes and their hands, the inhabitants tried to find some survivors among the rubble. Rescue material is scarce in this locality. There is also a lack of people to help.

As of press time, the vice president of Turkish league club Hayatspor reported that one of his players, Ghanaian international Christian Atsu, is trapped under rubble.

Pain. Survivors await medical help. Photo: AFP

painful consequences

More than 3,700 people have diedanother 16,000 have been injured and 7,800 were rescued from the 3,200 buildings that collapsed after the intense shaking of the two earthquakes and constant aftershocks.

“The situation is very serious. Many people are still under the rubble of buildings,” said surgeon Majid Ibrahim, from the Al Rahma hospital in the Syrian city of Darkush.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the number of victims could be up to eight times higher.

Some 25,000 brigade members, including soldiers, are taking part in the rescue efforts, said Orhan Tatar, a senior official with the national emergency agency.

According to spokesmen for the Turkish government, 12.1 million euros (13.3 million dollars) have been allocated in urgent funds for the ten most affected provinces.

More than 300,000 victims of the earthquakes have been accommodated in university centers, shelters and student residences.

The low temperatures and the snow in the area, where there are also mountainous territories that are difficult to access, complicate the rescue tasks.

The Turkish authorities have announced the closure of schools in the ten most affected provinces and also the suspension of all sports competitions, as well as gas and electricity supply cuts in some areas. And the state oil company has cut crude supplies to the region as a “precautionary measure.”

Rescue. Volunteers work in collapsed buildings. Photo: AFP

mourning and solidarity

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogandeclared Monday seven days of national mourning for the victims of the earthquake that caused at least 2,600 deaths in his country and neighboring Syria.

“A seven-day period of national mourning has been declared. Our flag will be flown at half mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023 in all our national and foreign representations,” Erdogan said in a tweet. His handling of this tragedy will carry a lot of weight in the May 14 elections.

The general Assembly of the UN observed a minute of silence for the victims of the earthquake and the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, expressed his “deep sadness”.

President Joe Biden, after sending his condolences, yesterday promised his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the United States will send “all” aid that is necessary to support the country’s recovery after the devastating earthquake.

“I reaffirm the United States’ readiness to provide any and all necessary assistance to our NATO ally Turkey in response to this tragedy,” the White House said in a statement. He added that “American teams are rapidly deploying to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate other assistance.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin also said yesterday that he will send rescue teams to Turkey and Syria, reported the Kremlin, after holding talks with their counterparts from both countries. “In the next few hours, the rescue teams of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations will leave for Syria,” the presidency declared.

Erdogan affirms that his country lives “the greatest tragedy” since the great Erzincan earthquake in 1939 while the world follows with expectation the tasks of brigade members that dozens of countries have sent to the disaster site to extract from the rubble the miracle of the survivors.

Emergency. Mechanical teams remove rubble in search of survivors. Photo: AFP

Oil prices rise due to tragedy

International oil prices rose on Monday due to the damage to oil pipelines caused by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and the uncertainty about the validity of new sanctions on Russian crude.

“The market fears that the tremors will damage two large pipelines in Turkey and Iraq and reduce supply,” said John Kilduff of the firm Again Capital.

The barrel west texas Intermediate (WTI) and the barrel of crude oil Brent prices strengthened on Monday after the seismic tragedy in Turkey and neighboring Syria.

Source-larepublica.pe