Laden with ‘good wishes, message of peace,’ China’s rescue team returns home from quake-hit Türkiye

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ADANA, Türkiye (AA) - “We may not be able to take the pigeon with us…but we understand the message you have given to us and we will pass it on to our people,” the leader of a Chinese rescue team told an old man in southern Türkiye’s earthquake-hit province of Hatay.

Wang Geng, the Chinese rescuer, was busy organizing his flight home at Adana Airport, which has become an epicenter for international arrivals and departures for more than 9,300 rescue personnel from around the world after Türkiye was hit by magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes on Feb. 6.

“The pigeon represents peace and good wishes,” Wang told Anadolu after returning from the town of Kirikhan in Hatay where he was gifted the pigeon by the old man.

The first part of the name of the town, “Kirik,” means “broken,” while the second part, “han,” means a “house” or “inn” which provides accommodation, food and drink, especially for travelers, which describes the town’s current situation as international rescuers are battling the Himalayan challenge of two earthquakes amid bone-chilling cold.

The gesture from the Turkish native came as the six-member Dawn Emergency Rescue team from China’s southeastern port city of Xiamen, which sits on the northern banks of the Taiwan Strait, conducted search, rescue and relief operations in the province.

They arrived in Türkiye on Feb. 9, soon after they heard the news of the “worst earthquake of the 21st century” to have hit the country.

“We immediately organized our frontline team of six members to come to the aid of the Turkish people,” Wang told Anadolu via an interpreter Wednesday as he and his team were readying to depart for China from Adana via the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul.

To make communication easier and faster, hundreds of Turkish translators are working as volunteer interpreters with international teams.

The Chinese team was being aided by Ahmet Faruk Isik, a Turkish scholar who is pursuing a doctorate at Shanghai International Studies University and speaks fluent Chinese.

- Adana Airport, an epicenter of international rescue teams

Like Isik, at this airport in southern Türkiye were a young pair of students from Adana-based Cukurova University – Kevser and Koray.

Serving tea to all arrivals and departures, including international rescue teams, a local humanitarian organization, Our Concern is Humanity, described the environment around the airport.

While Kevser and Koray were busy facilitating members of international teams like the Chinese one, several elderly women outside the airport were seen praying for the outgoing rescue team for their prompt response and help post-earthquakes.

Many young sports lovers took pictures with the Chinese team holding banners of Turkish sports clubs.

Back in Hatay, said Wang, the Chinese rescuers along with another team was “able to rescue one person alive from the rubble.”

“Our main focus was rescue, and then we also joined relief operations."

Besides working in towns, the Chinese humanitarian leader said his team worked in villages in the southern province.

Wang thanked the people and government of Türkiye for their “positive support” while the Chinese team was engaged in search and rescue operations.

“We are thankful to Mr. Ahmet Faruk Isik for his support and coordination,” he added, pointing to the Turkish doctoral student at the Chinese university.

A second team from Wang's organization is expected to be in Türkiye by Feb. 21 to continue the relief work.

“We have collected a lot of memories, smiles with us,” said Wang as local people surrounded the Chinese team, thanking them for their instant response and help.

“Initially we did not accept it,” said Wang about the food offered by local Turkish people during the post-quake operations. “But then we started eating it out of respect” for the Turkish people, he said.

“It is deep in our memories.”

Almost all international teams operating in Türkiye are “self-sufficient,” meaning they are carrying all necessary equipment along with food and medicines with them – a requirement for deployment overseas.

- Last flight home

At Adana Airport, several crews of international quake response teams were flying out after serving in southern provinces of Türkiye since last week.

Many new teams were also coming and relieving their colleagues from their tiresome week-long relentless efforts.

Inside the airport, waiting for their last flight home, were two businesspeople from Mauritius.

They flew to Antakya in Hatay, a day before the earthquakes hit Türkiye.

"We were in a very good hotel, but the quake struck on our very first night," said Ramnarayan Nilkumar, who was accompanied by his colleague Vicky. The next few days were tough for the duo, who provide private security services.

They had come to explore some deals in Türkiye.

Centered in southern Kahramanmaras, the two earthquakes also struck nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.

At least 35,418 people were killed while thousands of others were injured across the 10 provinces, which witnessed widespread destruction due to what experts described as the “pancake” collapse of buildings.

According to Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, around 13,208 of the injured are still receiving treatment in Turkish hospitals, including those flown to Ankara and Istanbul.

More than 249,000 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, said Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

Nearly 195,962 people have been evacuated from the quake-hit regions so far, it added.

Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.

A total of 9,046 foreign personnel from 82 nations are currently working in the disaster zone, the country's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

It also said that 100 countries had offered assistance so far, with two more expected to send rescue teams.

Besides rescue teams, blankets, tents, food and psychological support teams along with over 12,300 vehicles, including excavators, tractors and bulldozers, were also sent to the affected areas.

President Erdogan said last Friday that the country is facing one of the biggest disasters in its modern history.