Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – Feb. 20, 2023

ANKARA (AA) – Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments around the world.

At least 41,020 people have been killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, said the country’s disaster management agency.

While many invaluable artifacts such as those in the prominent Zeugma Mosaic Museum were left largely untouched in the two recent earthquakes, Turkish authorities have declared that restoration and repair work would soon begin for those that suffered damage in the tremors.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Kirikhan and Iskenderun districts of quake-hit Hatay province in southern Türkiye.

The US secretary of state said he is “profoundly saddened” by the devastation from the Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye.

Bulgaria, Malta and Albania extended condolences to Türkiye over the deadly earthquakes.

The Russian military has hit the deployment point of the 383rd regiment of unmanned aerial vehicles of the armed forces of Ukraine in the western Khmelnytskyi region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Kremlin said Sunday that the idea of talks between the leaders of Russia and the US, initially proposed by their Belarusian counterpart, is unlikely to find support in the West.

Russia’s ambassador to the US criticized claims made by US officials that Moscow has been involved in “crimes against humanity" in Ukraine.

The EU should quickly increase and accelerate its military support to Ukraine, the bloc's foreign policy chief said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition on Sunday accused US Ambassador Tom Nides of interference in Israel’s internal affairs.