Following the catastrophic earthquakes and 185 aftershocks that devastated Türkiye’s south-eastern provinces and parts of Syria, the country declared seven days of national mourning.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took to Twitter, declaring a week of mourning for the lives lost and displaced subsequent the disaster.

Currently, almost 20,000 people have been killed, of which the numbers continue to rise. This follows the magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that devastated 10 provinces in the country’s south-east.

“As we speak, 21,200 personnel, including soldiers, gendarmerie and police, are taking part in rescue efforts in Hatay,” the President stated. “The state is working with municipalities, especially with [disaster management agency] AFAD, with all its means.”

Darul Ihsan Media Desk