Iraqi President ensures safety of Iraqi community in Turkey
A woman sits amid the rubble in Gaziantep on the next day of the devastating earthquake that hit south-central Turkey. Photo: Reuters
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, stressed on Tuesday the need to provide the necessary assistance to ensure the safety of the Iraqi community in Turkey, according a press statement issued by the Iraqi Presidency.
The statement mentioned that the Iraqi President received Iraq’s Ambassador to Turkey, Majid Abdul-Ridha, where they discussed the latest developments after the disastrous earthquake that shook southern parts of Turkey.
Rashid stressed the need to be constantly reassured about the Iraqi community in Turkey, and to provide the necessary assistance to ensure their safety, meet their needs and communicate with them, the statement explained.
The Iraqi president expressed his country’s sympathy and solidarity with the people of Syria and Turkey, indicating the importance of providing assistance to the affected families, the statement clarified.
Rashid listened to a briefing from Abdul-Ridha on the conditions of the Iraqi community in Turkey, and on the continuous efforts to ensure their safety, the statement added.
A devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck southern Turkey and northern Syria early on Monday, while the aftershocks reached other countries in the region, and were felt by residents in Lebanon and Iraq.
The earthquake hit 26 kilometers east of Nurdagi city of Gaziantep province in south-central Turkey, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The strongest aftershock, measuring 6.7 in magnitude, struck around 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the original earthquake’s epicenter about 11 minutes later, CNN reported.
The earthquake killed more than four thousand people, injured about 23 thousand, and resulted in the collapse of many buildings and damages in the infrastructure facilities in both Turkey and Syria.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that the number of people affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria is about 23 million.
Rescue operations are still underway to search for survivors under huge piles of rubble in the quake-hit areas.