'They treated us very well': Armenian team leader hails treatment of rescuers by Türkiye

By Yavuz Aydin

ANKARA (AA) - The head of the Armenian rescue team which came to Türkiye after the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes has hailed the treatment and welcome they received in the country.

"They treated us very well. They always thanked us for coming and supporting and helping us," Garik Aghramanyan told a press conference in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday. The 28-member team, which arrived on Feb. 8, has returned home as rescue operations are coming to a close.

"From the second we got off the plane, we only heard words of gratitude and thanks," he added.

Aghramanyan said his team rescued three people from the rubble in Adiyaman, one of the 11 provinces struck by the quakes that have caused widespread death and destruction.

Other rescuers also spoke on the occasion, and described their treatment in quake-hit Türkiye positively.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the catastrophe as the biggest disaster in the country’s modern history.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglui in the capital Ankara last week, and reaffirmed the country's will for complete normalization of bilateral relations, a process which is ongoing.