The number of deaths from the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey rose to 31,974, while more than 81,000 injured people survived, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who at the same time appreciated the international solidarity with his country in this humanitarian disaster.
The Turkish Emergency and Disaster Administration (AFAD) announced today, Tuesday, that the death toll from the double earthquake in the south of the country has risen to 31,974.
For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that more than 81,000 injured people survived the earthquake that struck the south of the country at dawn on February 6.
This came in a video message he sent to the World Summit of Governments, held in the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday.
Erdogan stated in this regard: "More than 81,000 injured people survived the earthquake, and a large number of them left hospitals after receiving treatment."
He explained that the relief teams were able to extract more than 8,000 people alive from under the rubble.
The Turkish president added that the earthquake disaster showed once again the importance of international solidarity.
He thanked all friendly and brotherly countries that extended a helping hand and supported Turkish relief efforts in the face of the effects of the earthquake.
He continued, saying: "The earthquake, which struck an area of 500 kilometers in 10 states, inhabited by about 13.5 million citizens, caused, unfortunately, great damage."
And he added, "We are facing one of the largest natural disasters not only in Turkey but also in the history of mankind. We are removing the wreckage of thousands of buildings destroyed by the earthquake, which is described as the catastrophe of the century. Unfortunately, the number of our loss of life is increasing."
He stressed that since the first moments of the earthquake, Turkey, state and people, mobilized all its resources for the disaster area, noting that a state of alert of the fourth level, which includes international aid, was declared.
Erdogan said that government institutions, civil organizations and volunteers are making great efforts to help the earthquake victims.
On February 6, an earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria with a magnitude of 7.7, followed by another hours later with a magnitude of 7.6 and hundreds of violent aftershocks, which caused great loss of life and property in both countries.
The Turkish President stated that the world is currently facing great challenges such as natural disasters, climate change, migration and wars.
He added that the global economy and development efforts are going through a difficult period due to the deterioration of supply chains, disasters resulting from climate change, the Russian-Ukrainian war, the food and energy crisis, and high global inflation.
He stressed that Turkey, with the advent of the first centenary of the founding of the Republic (in 2023), is making great efforts to establish prosperity and security in the region and beyond.
And he went on, "We believe in the possibility of achieving a world where justice prevails more, and Turkey and the Gulf states are the main axis of the security, stability and prosperity of our region and its economic integration. Turkey does not consider its stability and security separate from the stability and security of the Gulf region."
Erdogan added, "We attach great importance to developing the road and railway infrastructure that will connect the Gulf region to Europe and Asia via Turkey."
Syria Search operations are nearing completion, and the death toll from the earthquake is 4,300
The death toll from the earthquake in northwestern Syria has risen to 4,300 dead and 7,600 injured as of February 12, according to a statement by the United Nations agency. Ten trucks entered Syria from the Bab al-Hawa crossing, carrying supplies for temporary shelter, including plastic tents, blankets, mattresses and ropes.
The White Helmets said on Tuesday that the search for survivors under the rubble is about to be completed in northwestern Syria, eight days after the devastating earthquake that struck the region.
Raed Al-Saleh, head of the organization that handles major rescue operations in the affected area, said the search efforts were “nearly over. The data we have are still (survivors), but we are trying to check all the sites and ask the families if there are any missing.”
The United Nations agency announced that the death toll from the earthquake that struck northern Syria had risen to 4,300, as of February 12.
And the IAEA said in a statement that "4,300 people were reported dead and 7,600 injured in northwest Syria as a result of the earthquake as of February 12."
In the context, a new UN convoy entered Syria from Turkey on Sunday, loaded with much-needed aid for the Syrian victims.
Ten trucks entered Syria from the Bab al-Hawa crossing in northwestern Syria, according to an AFP correspondent, loaded with supplies for temporary shelter, including plastic tents, blankets, mattresses, ropes, and so on.
Humanitarian aid destined for northwestern Syria is usually transported from Turkey through Bab al-Hawa, the only crossing point guaranteed by a Security Council resolution on cross-border aid.
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, noted in a tweet that the UN agency "has so far failed the people in northwestern Syria. They rightly feel left out," calling for "correcting this failure as soon as possible."
For his part, the Director of the World Health Organization announced on Sunday that the President of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, expressed his willingness to consider opening more border crossings to deliver aid to the earthquake victims in northwestern Syria, which is under the control of the opposition.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that Assad "has made it clear that he is open to the idea of (opening) border crossings (in response) to this urgent situation."
One of the first teams to be in the field Meet the Turkish rescue teams PAK and JAK
In addition to their basic tasks, the Turkish police and gendarmerie forces, through their special teams for search and rescue missions, participated from the first hours in relief and rescue work in the affected areas hit by the earthquake storm in southern Turkey.
In addition to routine duties, Turkish security forces also participated in search and rescue work in the ten affected cities hit by the seismic storm last week. And while the Turkish Police Search and Rescue (PAK) was in relief and rescue work from the first moments, the Gendarmerie Special Tasks for Search and Rescue (JAK) also participated in the affected areas.
Within the first hours, and thanks to the direct and rapid coordination of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), the ( PAK ) and ( JAK ) teams of the Turkish security forces were able to rescue many people trapped under the rubble in Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep and Hatay, as well as other cities.
Our JAK teams saved our daughter Zeynep. The architects of miracles are believers. We will not stop believing. #Gendarme #Earthquake #Gaziantep pic.twitter.com/Xx57c7AQRU
On February 6, Turkey was hit by two major earthquakes, separated by only 9 hours, which caused great damage and destruction to 10 cities in southern Turkey and northern Syria, in a disaster known as the "Catastrophe of the Century", as the death toll from earthquakes in Turkey rose to 31,974 people.
Here are the full details of the search and rescue teams of the Turkish security forces, and what distinguishes them from the rest of the other rescue teams.
The origin of the story
In the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Elazig in 2020, the Turkish Ministry of Interior instructed the formation of Police Search and Rescue Teams (PAK) on February 4, 2020, to be a unit of the General Directorate of Security in order to participate in search and rescue efforts that will be conducted in coordination with the Disaster and Emergency Management during Periods of potential disaster and support for disaster victims.
Immediately, AFAD experts began providing training in combating natural disasters, most notably earthquakes, to police officers in the offices of the Search and Rescue Branch of the General Directorate of Security in Ankara, Istanbul, and other cities.
These teams are entrusted with taking all traffic and public order measures for the safety of the area and immediate response in the event of a disaster, as well as participating in search and rescue activities in the affected areas.
In addition to the Police Search and Rescue (PAK) teams, the Turkish Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie), which also belongs to the Ministry of Interior, has special teams for search and rescue work called ( JAK ).
Search and Rescue Police (PAK)
For a period ranging from 6 to 8 weeks and in coordination with the Disaster and Emergency Department (PAK) teams consisting of volunteers, dynamic youth, and psychologically and physically qualified workers, undergo intensive training lessons to learn urban search activities and basic rescue training, in addition to basic winter mountaineering training and mountaineering training. Avalanche search and rescue.
PAK teams operating in 13 cities across Turkey, especially in major major cities such as Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, participate in national and international exercises as well.
Noting that they have added significant institutional experience and strength to the disaster response capacity, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu stated that PAK is a conscious part of the disaster management strategy and said, "I believe that the police search and rescue team will strengthen our strength in disaster response."
Search and Rescue Gendarmerie (JAK)
The Search and Rescue Battalion of the Turkish Gendarmerie Forces (JAK) was established in order to perform search and rescue activities in cases of natural disasters such as avalanches, earthquakes, floods, landslides and building collapses, in addition to rescuing the missing or injured in natural places such as mountains, valleys, caves, wells and tall buildings.
One of the first teams to be in the field.. The Turkish search and rescue teams are known as "PAK" and "JAK" (AA)
JAK includes four search and rescue teams within the Disaster Search and Rescue Battalion, three underwater search and rescue teams, two mountaineering teams and a dog-assisted search and rescue team.
In order to perform these tasks in the best way, the JAK Battalion Command continues to train its members in real terrain and weather conditions without interruption. In addition to training the personnel of the battalion, their specialization is ensured through participation in local, national and international courses.
Pointing out that the security units, search and rescue units of the Gendarmerie Forces, NGOs and the disaster and emergency management brought a very important discipline at the moment of the disaster, Soylu said that the task of the police is not only search and rescue in cases of disasters, but now they will carry out a more prepared image of disasters as soon as they happen through Collaboration with teams (PAK).