State of emergency in 10 quake-hit provinces coming into effect: President

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) – A three-month state of emergency to speed up rescue and aid efforts in Türkiye’s quake-hit provinces will enter into force later on Thursday, the nation’s president said.

"The state of emergency will be in effect following today's vote in parliament," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said while inspecting search and rescue efforts in the southern Gaziantep province, where the deadly earthquakes hit.

Erdogan said that at least 14,014 people were killed and 63,794 others injured when two earthquakes – centered in the Kahramanmaras province – on Monday jolted southern Türkiye, affecting more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, also including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

To speed up search and rescue operations, Türkiye on Tuesday announced a three-month state of emergency in the quake-hit provinces.

"Our state has been in the field with all its institutions starting from the moment of the earthquakes," he added.

On Wednesday, Erdogan inspected ongoing search and rescue work, as well as relief efforts in the Adana, Hatay, and Kahramanmaras provinces, in addition to one of the quake epicenters Pazarcik, where he met survivors in tent cities.