'No time for politics' in aftermath of deadly quakes in Türkiye, says top official

'No time for politics' in aftermath of deadly quakes in Türkiye, says top official

Communications Director Fahrettin Altun calls on people to avoid making 'irresponsible statements'

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye's communications director on Thursday condemned those who try to make political statements in the wake of deadly quakes which hit the country on Monday, in the process killing and injuring tens of thousands, with rescue efforts ongoing.

"This is no time for politics, and we strongly condemn some statements made by some political figures that seek to sow divisions. We are going through a difficult time as a nation. We call on everyone to avoid making irresponsible statements and to be part of the solution," Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.

Nearly 12,900 people were killed and 63,000 injured by two strong earthquakes which jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, according to the latest official figures.

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

Altun said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will continue his visits on Thursday to other regions affected by the quakes.

On Wednesday, he visited Kahramanmaras, Pazarcik, Hatay, Iskenderun and Adana to monitor search and rescue efforts in the quake-hit areas.

"During his visit, President Erdogan expressed his unshaken belief in our people’s resilience in the face of this historic calamity just like they have endured other disasters in the past," Altun said.

He stressed that the state is fully mobilized under the coordination of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).


- 'Full control' of search and rescue efforts

"Despite the challenges in the first day of our response due to winter conditions and the second major earthquake some nine hours afterwards, in the following days, we have established full control of the search and rescue efforts," said Altun.

"We are still in the search and rescue phase of our efforts, and we will not stop until we find everyone we can. At the same time, as our president indicated, the plans for debris removal efforts are also underway to allow easier access to the affected areas.”

Altun said goal is the full recovery and reconstruction in these 10 provinces within a year, adding that the government is fully committed to providing shelter to anyone who needs it in the meantime.

He noted that certain hotels in the provinces of Mersin and Antalya, including Alanya, had opened their doors to earthquake victims.

"Full mobilization of our coordination centers in every city will allow us to overcome the initial challenges such as road closures and airport access among others. Today, we are in a much better position to address all challenges including fuel oil shortages and heating needs," he added.

This is needed to fight provocateurs who use disinformation to create public distress and confusion, Altun said, adding: "Their aim is to hamper our efforts and break the will of our people."

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