Photos featuring Türkiye's quake-hit areas displayed at US Congress

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - More than 20 photos featuring Türkiye's quake-hit areas were displayed Monday in the US capital, Washington, D.C.

The "Disaster of the Century" exhibition at the Congressional Rayburn House Office Building was organized by the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications and featured images that depict the devastation caused by the Feb. 6 earthquakes.

In his remarks opening the event, Ziya Altunyaldiz, a Turkish lawmaker from the Justice and Development (AK) Party, said the disaster in February was unprecedented.

Altunyaldiz, who is also the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry, Trade, Energy, Natural Resources, Information and Technology, said aid was rushed to Türkiye due to the powerful magnitude of the quakes.

Altunyaldiz is in the US as part of a delegation that is conducting public diplomacy events regarding the earthquakes.

Others include Deputy Director of Communications Cagatay Ozdemir, Orhan Tatar, director-general of earthquake and risk reduction at the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), and Cagri Erhan and Nursin Atesoglu Guney, members of the Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Council.

Altunyaldiz also thanked South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson, who led a resolution to recognize the earthquake victims and honor the responders in Türkiye and Syria.

Wilson, a co-chair of the Caucus on US-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, said he was "really grateful" that the resolution passed the House floor in late February.

Texas Republican Representative Pete Sessions also spoke at the event, saying the US stands with Türkiye.

"Tonight, we remember, most pointedly, the news that took place of not just the earthquake but the terrible aftershocks," said Sessions, who is also a member of the caucus.

"The men and women who dedicated themselves to helping others should be remembered in a very positive way," he added.

Attended by Türkiye's Ambassador to the US, Hasan Murat Mercan, the three-hour exhibition drew members of the Turkish American community and American academics among others.

On Feb. 6, magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck numerous Turkish provinces, taking over 50,000 lives.

Around 14 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the quakes as well as many others in northern Syria.