Solidarity with Turkey

Search and rescue teams from the US and Europe have been sent to Turkey following the powerful quakes on Monday. The tremors, that rocked the southern half of the country, have killed more than 3,000 people in Turkey and made numerous victims in the neighbouring Syria. In Turkey alone, where authorities have so far counted almost 5000 collapsed buildings, the drop in temperatures poses a higher risk of hypothermia for the people still trapped under the ruins. A number of European Union countries answered Turkey’s call for assistance under the Civil Protection Mechanism, such as Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, the Netherlands and Poland, while Hungary, Italy, Spain, Malta and Slovakia have also offered to help.

The EU satellite system Copernicus, has been activated to offer Turkish authorities emergency mapping services. Romania has joined the European countries helping Turkey at this difficult time. Three military aircraft carrying 60 Romanian rescue workers and technique landed in Adana and were directed by the Turkish authorities to Hatay, the southernmost province of the country. The Romanian rescue team have started setting up their operation base. They are in permanent contact with the Turkish authority for disaster and emergency management.

In Bucharest, the Healthcare Ministry together with the universities of medicine are mobilizing healthcare professionals who want to go as volunteers to the affected areas. Also, the Healthcare Ministry is in contact with Romania s Embassy in Ankara, ready to offer medical and psychological assistance to the people repatriated from the affected area.

Turkey is one of the 33 countries taking part in the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism alongside the 27 members and Norway, Island, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. EU assistance can be requested by any country in the world whose national emergency resources are overwhelmed by natural disaster and needs additional assistance. The EU is also ready to support Syria, through its humanitarian assistance programmes. (EE)