The preacher of the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia, Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, praised the popular campaigns launched by many countries, including the Kingdom, to help those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Al-Sudais called for continuing to support them.
The preacher of the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Rahman al-Sudais, called on Friday to continue supporting those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, praising the support of the nation and Saudi Arabia.
This came in the Friday sermon delivered by Al-Sudais, according to video clips from it broadcast by the official Saudi news channel, coinciding with the continued official and popular Arab support for those affected by the earthquake.
In his sermon, Al-Sudais referred to "the nation's solidarity with those affected by the earthquake and tremors (in Turkey and Syria)," calling for mercy for the deceased and healing for the injured.
Al-Sudais called for continuing to support those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, praising the support of the nation and Saudi Arabia.
He praised the Kingdom's position and leadership, saying: "We can only praise the official position and the popular campaign to help those affected through the King Salman Relief Center (official) and through the Sahem platform to provide aid."
Al-Sudais also called on "everyone to support and support these efforts to alleviate the pain of their brothers."
And he recited verses of poetry expressing the great grief that afflicted hearts as a result of the earthquake, calling on God Almighty to relieve distress, kindness, and mercy for the afflicted.
And since the earthquake occurred in Turkey and Syria at dawn on February 6, the Kingdom has flown 12 relief planes, aid trucks, sent research teams, and launched a popular donation campaign through the “Sahem” platform, under the directives of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
As of 11:00 GMT on Friday afternoon, one million 885 thousand and 255 donors participated in the donation campaign, with an initial proceeds of more than 453 million 714 thousand and 285 riyals ($120.9 million), according to what the “Sahem” platform data shows.
In his sermon, Al-Sudais condemned the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying: "We condemn and denounce the repeated attempts of the Israeli occupation forces to attack the sanctities of Muslims in Al-Aqsa Mosque, its squares and cities."
On Thursday, a comprehensive strike spread across the Palestinian territories, the day after the Israeli army killed 11 Palestinians and wounded dozens with live bullets during its storming of the city of Nablus, amid ongoing violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to previous official Arab and Palestinian statements.
In his sermon, Al-Sudais also denounced the "repeated, systematic campaigns of infringement of the Qur'an," affirming the complete rejection of violating the sanctities of Islam or insulting Islamic law.
He said, "The deliberate abuse of the Qur'an is terrorism and provocation for more than one and a half billion Muslims in all parts of the world."
Last January, extremists in Western countries burned copies of the Noble Qur’an, amid widespread Islamic and Arab condemnation.
Turkish Defense Minister: We have lost 100 soldiers since the earthquakes
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that his country has lost 100 soldiers so far since the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey. "Unfortunately, we have lost 100 soldiers and army employees so far, in addition to the injury of 66, and we have not been able to reach two missing soldiers yet," Akar added.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that his country has lost 100 soldiers so far since the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey.
This came in exclusive statements to TRT Haber, Thursday.
"Unfortunately, we have lost 100 soldiers and army employees so far, in addition to the injury of 66 others, and we have not been able to reach two missing soldiers yet," Akar added.
Regarding the Turkish army's contribution to relief work in the affected cities, Akar said, "Our first needs in the region were search and rescue teams (...) We have the TSF Humanitarian Assistance Brigade, and we have additional search and rescue teams alongside our other engineering battalions, who participated in relief operations." .
The Turkish minister indicated that the total number of teams participating in the relief operations is 57 teams, and he said, "57 teams were deployed immediately to the earthquake areas (...) We were not satisfied with that, as we formed teams from our technical cadres and workers, as the number of teams reached 80 teams.
Akar also reported the participation of trained dogs, saying, "The dogs helped us rescue 304 people from under the rubble. Unfortunately, they (the dogs) reached the bodies of 2,250 citizens."
In terms of humanitarian aid, Akar added that since the earthquakes, "4 million and 400,000 meals have been distributed. We have installed 108 kitchens and 48 field ovens (...) and at the present time we have reached a daily production capacity of 160,000 hot meals and 380,000 meals." A piece of bread daily.
"So far, our citizens have obtained one million and 400 thousand hot meals, and we have produced two million and 600 thousand pieces of bread."
Akar said that the damage was severe in the city of Antakya in Hatay state, as 46 kitchens and 14 ovens are being established to produce 83,000 meals per day and about 130,000 pieces of bread.
Akar said that the armed forces are helping to provide shelter for those affected by earthquakes, as "soldiers participated in installing 60,000 tents, and all military facilities were opened to receive earthquake victims."
"Since the first moment of the earthquake, we have sent 65 aircraft and 70 helicopters to support the entire affected areas. Incirlik base is also used when needed," the minister stated.
Moreover, Akar added, "nearly 5,500 sorties have been conducted so far. This is a huge number."
"The TCG Bayraktar military ship has been converted into a hospital, where 115 surgeries have been performed so far," he said.
He stated that the ship witnessed the birth of two girls on board, one of whom was called Khadija Deniz and the other Nour.
On February 6, a double earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, the first measuring 7.7 degrees and the second 7.6 degrees, followed by thousands of violent aftershocks, which left great losses in lives and property in both countries.
Turkey earthquakes The continued flow of international aid and the death toll reached 43,556
Around the clock for about 17 days, countries and peoples have been racing against time to support and provide relief to Turkey and Syria since the earthquake disaster occurred, while the number of victims in Turkey reached 43,556.
Following the catastrophe of the earthquakes that struck the regions of southern Turkey and northern Syria on the sixth of February, the countries of the world rushed to provide the necessary support in order to provide relief to those affected by the earthquakes in the affected areas, while Turkey continues its efforts in the process of searching for the victims and removing the rubble.
For the seventeenth day, official and popular efforts continue in many countries to provide support to the victims of the earthquakes that claimed the lives of more than 43,000 people in Turkey.
Turkey informs the G20 of the consequences of the disaster
In a special session on Turkey within the meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Twenty, which India presides over, its current session, Turkish Minister of Treasury and Finance Nouruddin Vegetarian briefed his counterparts on Friday about information about the consequences of the earthquake disaster.
The Turkish minister expressed his thanks to the international community for the support it provided to Turkey after the disaster, stressing the importance of the international community's continued solidarity in the future.
A UN coordinator calls on the international community to provide the necessary support to Turkey
The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkey, Alvaro Rodriguez, called on the international community to provide the necessary support to Turkey, taking into account its generous hosting of millions of Syrian refugees.
Rodriguez visited a camp for earthquake victims in Kahramanmaraş, where he received a briefing from officials there about the conditions of those affected.
In a statement to reporters, the UN official expressed his deep sorrow over the deaths of many people as a result of the earthquake, and extended his condolences to the Turkish people.
He explained that he also visited the state of Kahramanmaraş, adding that today he saw the effects of the devastating earthquake with his own eyes.
He stated that the Turkish people and government and the international community have provided all forms of necessary support to the earthquake areas since its occurrence.
He pointed to Turkey's reception of Syrian refugees, adding: "Taking into account its generous hosting of refugees, we expect the international community to provide the necessary support to Turkey."
Turkey begins transporting vehicles damaged by the earthquake
The Turkish authorities began to withdraw the vehicles damaged by the earthquake disaster and transfer them to the positions of the security directorates in the southern states.
The vehicles were damaged as a result of the collapse of the buildings above them, following two successive earthquakes that struck southern Turkey early this month.
The authorities in Malatya began pulling cars out of the rubble and stacking them in special parking lots.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, a member of the Turkish Police Force Strengthening Corporation, Sezgin Kara, said that the institution's mechanisms withdraw daily 20-30 vehicles destroyed by the earthquake in Malatya alone.
He added that 120 vehicles have been piled so far in one of the Security Directorate's parking lots, expecting that the number of destroyed vehicles will increase as the rubble of buildings continues to be removed.
He pointed out that the vehicle owners feel deeply saddened by the loss of their homes and vehicles, but they assert that "there is no way out."
Albistan is about to recover from the earthquake
The city of Albistan in Kahramanmaraş continues its recovery process from the effects of the earthquake by removing rubble and relocating the affected people in prefabricated houses.
Albistan is the epicenter of the second earthquake that struck Kahramanmaraş with a magnitude of 7.6, hours after the first earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 in the "Nordaghi" region of the same state on February 6.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish governor of Kayseri, Gokmen Çiçek, who is responsible for managing relief work in the city of Albistan, said that the work of removing rubble is continuing through drilling machines belonging to the municipalities of Trabzon, Samsun and Kayseri, with the number of workers reaching 7 thousand people.
Gökmen explained that the Turkish Ministry of Interior entrusted him with this task, noting that the city continues to recover after the earthquake.
He pointed out that workers remove the rubble of about 60 collapsed buildings daily, and that work continues 24 hours a day in the city, with the aim of accelerating the process of returning life to normal.
He confirmed that the damage inventory works in the city center of Albistan have been completed, with the approaching completion of those works in the aforementioned city’s countryside.
He added, "I think the rubble removal work in Albistan will be completed in a few days."
With regard to efforts to supply the city with foodstuffs, the governor stressed that there are no shortcomings in this regard.
He said, "The work of healing Albistan's wounds continues with great momentum, with the aim of returning it to its previous normal days, as the Agricultural Bank has returned to its activity, as well as the Postal Corporation, to its activity within a temporarily prefabricated house."
Çiçek also confirmed the reopening of shops not affected by the earthquake, with the re-supply of natural gas to 4,100 buildings.
The death toll exceeds 43 thousand
Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu announced on Wednesday that the number of deaths from the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey on February 6 reached 43,556.
In a related context, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) indicated in a statement that 7,242 aftershocks occurred since the first earthquake, 41 of which were between 5 and 6 degrees, and 450 between 4 and 5 degrees on the Richter scale.
The statement stated that Avad continues to transfer tents to the region from the first moment in order to meet the shelter needs of those affected by the earthquake, and that it has set up 300,809 tents in the affected states.
The administration added that it has set up camps in 270 points to date in the affected states.
On Monday, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck the "Dafna" area in the Turkish state of Hatay (south) at 20:04.
AFAD announced earlier that 90 aftershocks of 5.8 degrees were recorded, 6 people died, and 294 others were injured, 18 of whom were in serious condition as a result of the earthquake.
The Hatay earthquake comes two weeks after a double earthquake struck the province of Kahramanmaraş (south) with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 degrees, and their impact affected northern Syria, which left great losses in lives and property in both countries.