The international community is turning its attention to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Dozens of countries have sent rescue and humanitarian aid delegations to the affected areas following the destructive earthquake that has caused more than 33,000 deaths. However, the UN estimates that this figure will exceed 50,000.
VIDEO: Ravaged buildings, shovels to clear the rubble: in Antakya, in the province of Hatay, Turkey, the powerful earthquake that occurred on February 6 has done enormous damage to buildings in the city. pic.twitter.com/Kr8KpZLpAE
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 13, 2023
Thousands of people have been injured and lost their homes. The earthquake has also damaged basic infrastructure such as sewage systems, increasing the risk of contracting diseases such as cholera. The regions affected by the disaster are home to some 13.5 million people, prompting international organisations such as the WHO and NGOs to warn of an imminent severe humanitarian crisis. Of particular concern in this regard is Syria, which is also suffering the ravages of a war that began more than a decade ago.
Against this backdrop, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has travelled to Istanbul to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reaffirm his country’s support for Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake. Al Thani, the first international leader to visit the Eurasian nation after the quake, conveyed his condolences to Erdogan, stressing that Doha will continue to offer “all kinds of support to the brotherly people of Turkey” to overcome the situation.
The Qatari ambassador to Ankara, Sheikh Mohammed bin Nasser bin Jassim Al Thani, said Al Thani’s visit is aimed at “demonstrating Qatar’s support for the people of Turkey and Syria at the highest level”. The Qatari diplomat was also keen to underline the “urgent” assistance provided by Doha shortly after the disaster.
“From the first moments of this tragedy, Qatar supported Turkey. This has culminated in the emir’s visit, which sends a clear message that Qatar always stands by Turkey in good times and bad, and that they are allies in these painful times,” the diplomat was quoted as saying by Asharq Al-Awsat.
Turkey’s ambassador to Doha, Mustafa Goksu, described Al Thani’s visit to Istanbul as “significant”, saying it has “valuable connotations” as he is the first world leader to visit the country in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Qatar, like many other nations, has sent rescue and relief missions to the affected areas. In addition to rescuers from the Lekhwiya security forces, Doha has provided field hospitals, medicines, tents and 10,000 mobile homes that were previously used as accommodation during Qatar’s football World Cup in late 2022. Similarly, the Qatari emir himself donated $14 million to the earthquake victims.
Volunteer Muhammad and his colleagues reached Aref and stayed with him until the were able to rescue him from under the rubble of his destroyed house in the village of Shallakh in the eastern countryside of #Idlib, #Syria on the first day of the #earthquake.
-February 6, 2023. pic.twitter.com/iufqton9tB— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 12, 2023
Members of Qatari delegations to Turkey have also visited Syrian areas near the Turkish border to provide assistance, such as Al-Jindires, where they provided food aid and clothing to cope with the cold temperatures.
In addition to discussing the earthquake and its aftermath, the two leaders discussed strategic relations between Ankara and Doha and a number of regional issues, reports the Qatar News Agency.
Days after the earthquake, Turkish authorities have arrested more than 130 people involved in illegal and shoddy construction methods in quake-affected areas. Turkey’s Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag announced that 131 individuals were being investigated for “their alleged responsibility” in the construction of buildings that did not withstand the tremors. Some of those arrested, such as builders Yavuz Karakus and Sevilay Karakuz, were detained at Istanbul airport while trying to travel to Georgia.
Despite the power of the earthquakes measuring 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, Turkish experts and citizens blame the buildings for the high death toll. But it is not only the builders who are to blame, opposition political parties, as well as a large number of citizens, also point the finger at Erdogan’s government for failing to enforce laws related to building standards.
