Bulgarian rescuers return with high praise for Turkish people, quake response

By Ihvan Radoykov

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AA) – Members of a search and rescue team from Bulgaria that was in Türkiye for relief efforts have returned home with high praises for Turkish authorities and people.

Turkish rescue teams and law enforcement personnel were very helpful and the logistical support given by local agencies was invaluable, said Behriye Bahri Tirmaz, who served as the translator in the 25-member team.

“Even those who had lost their homes brought us hot meals from field kitchens,” Tirmaz said, stressing that she would not think twice if asked to go back.

“I wouldn’t even hesitate to take the plane and go now,” she asserted.

Rosen Terziev, another member of the team, described the destruction caused by the twin quakes as “immeasurable.”

The team tried to its very best in coordination with the Turkish Disaster Management Agency (AFAD), he said.

On Feb. 6, two powerful earthquakes struck southern Türkiye, centered in Kahramanmaras and shaking nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

The death toll has now climbed over 35,400, with thousands more injured.

Felt in several countries, the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 tremors also caused massive destruction in northern Syria, where more than 3,500 lives have been lost.​​​​​​​