Turkish Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met in Hatay with King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and the Saudi Red Crescent delegations participating in the relief efforts to assist the earthquake victims in Türkiye. During the meeting, he expressed his government's appreciation to the Saudi government and people for their support. In an official statement, the Turkish government appreciated the Kingdom's rescue and search efforts to assist in helping the victims of the earthquake in Türkiye. Türkiye was hit by two large earthquakes measuring 7,7 and 7,6 on the Richter scale centered in Kahramanmaraş province on February 6, 2023. Over 3,858 aftershocks followed the two major earthquakes. These earthquakes severely struck 10 regions with a population of 13.5 million people. The tremors were also felt in other countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon. According to the latest official statement issued by the Turkish government on Feb. 15, 2023, a total of 35,418 people have lost their lives in Türkiye, 105,505 people were injured, more than 19,000 buildings have collapsed, and 47,000 buildings have been heavily damaged, adding that over 50,000 damaged buildings will be demolished urgently. Following the earthquake, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman, on Feb. 7 directed KSrelief to initiate an airlift to provide health, shelter, food, and logistical support to alleviate the repercussions of the earthquake on the Syrian and Turkish citizens and organize a campaign through the "Sahem" platform to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria. In an implementation of the Saudi leadership's directives, Saudi Arabia has dispatched 11 humanitarian aid planes carrying more than 500 tons of relief, including foodstuff, tents, blankets, rugs, and medical supplies; two landed in Aleppo, and nine planes landed in Adana and Gaziantep. The total amount donated in the campaign via the Sahem platform to help the earthquake victims in Türkiye and Syria has reached SR376,375,625, with the total number of donors amounting to 1,653,322. The statement added, "We follow the generous donations conducted in a short time and appreciate the contributions of all brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia for the victims of the earthquake and relief efforts." The statement said, "In this time of difficulty, having the support and solidarity of brotherly nations are of utmost importance, and Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of the country who rushed to our support. "This is a clear indication of the depth of relations and strong ties between the two brotherly countries." — SPA
