Greek minister visits quake-hit Türkiye to ‘show solidarity'

By Yusuf Koyun and Betul Aklan

ADANA, Türkiye (AA) – The Greek climate crisis and civil protection minister visited Türkiye on Thursday to show solidarity with Turkish people who are affected by Monday's powerful earthquakes.

Two aircraft with humanitarian aid from Greece landed at Adana Airport in southern Türkiye.

Greek Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides and Civil Protection Secretary General Vassilios Papageorgiou accompanied the humanitarian aid supplies.

Speaking to Anadolu, Stylianides said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his government decided to urgently send aid to the Turkish people who are going through hard times due to the earthquakes.

Stating that he came to Türkiye with his team, he added: “I am here as the minister of climate change and civil protection with my team, first of all, to show solidarity to the Turkish people. We are here with a lot of basic material for civil protection and a lot of medical equipment … in order to relieve a little bit the pain of Turkish people.”

The minister said he believes that the EU stands by Turkish people to show necessary solidarity at this moment, noting: “Because at this moment, we have to show our humanitarian feeling towards Turkish people who are really under huge pressure because of the devastating earthquake beyond imagination, more than seven degrees in this area.”

Two more aircraft carrying humanitarian aid from Greece are expected to arrive at Adana Airport during the day, while the fifth and last plane on Friday.

Earlier, the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry said 80 tons of various humanitarian aid materials, including 1,500 beds and 500 tents for earthquake victims, will be delivered to Türkiye in five flights by Aegean Airlines planes.

Greece has sent two search and rescue teams to Türkiye so far as a part of rescue operations.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, were felt on Monday by 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, felt strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of fewer than 10 hours.

At least 17,134 people were killed and 70,347 others injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye earlier this week, according to the latest official figures on Thursday.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Istanbul