Turkish people to quickly build 'nice society,' says China's national rescue team leader

By Riyaz ul Khaliq and Ozan Efeoglu

ADANA, Türkiye (AA) - Moved by the "beautiful" reconstruction effort after the strong 1999 earthquake in northwestern Türkiye, China's national rescue team leader said he hopes the Turkish people "will quickly build a nice society" after the devastating Feb. 6 quakes.

"I personally went to the Izmit earthquake zone in 1999. I've seen it (damage) there, too. Then, I witnessed Türkiye's beautiful reconstruction works," said Zhou Ming, director general of China's Department of Earthquake and Geological Disaster Rescue.

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Izmit in northwestern Türkiye on Aug. 17, 1999, causing over 17,000 deaths.

"That's why I think the Turkish people will quickly build a nice society after this earthquake," the Chinese disaster worker told Anadolu as he was heading back to his home country after taking part in search and rescue efforts in the city of Antakya, hit particularly hard by Feb. 6 massive tremors.

Zhou and his 82-member team had been in southern Türkiye since Feb. 8, two days after twin earthquakes struck the region. They flew out of the country on Thursday night.

Accompanied by China's top diplomat in Türkiye, Ambassador Liu Shaobin, at Adana Airport, Zhou said: "The Turkish people will heal their wounds and build a better family and society as soon as possible."

At least 38,044 people were killed while thousands of others were injured after magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 centered in southern Kahramanmaras province hit Türkiye on Feb. 6.

More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes across nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig.

Türkiye issued a level-4 alert, calling in international aid, which drew more than 9,000 international search and rescue personnel, including from China.

In total, more than 249,000 search and rescue workers are in the field, according to Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

Around 100 countries have offered assistance so far, with many having sent 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.

- 'Extraordinary': 2 strong back-to-back quakes

Zhou said China's national earthquake agency is "instantly" aware of earthquakes above magnitude 5, classified as moderate on the Richter scale.

"Therefore, if an earthquake occurs in Europe, for example on this side (of the world), we will have this information within 30 minutes," he said.

"That’s why after the earthquake, such information was transmitted to my phone," Zhou said of the recent tremors in Türkiye on Feb. 6.

Zhou said the earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude occurring "on the same day is actually not something that is seen very often."

"That is something extraordinary," he said.

Warning of "great harm" due to the ongoing winter, the Chinese rescuer said: "This is one of the biggest disasters of this century."

Zhou also hailed the local support during the search and rescue operation. "The Turkish people assisted us while these rescue efforts were being carried out on the field," he said.

"For example, drivers, translators, the petrol we use in our machine house, etc., requires great coordination," he said, lauding the role of AFAD, gendarmerie, and police.

They "helped us a lot while working on the field this time. Without them, we would not have been able to carry out such efficient rescue efforts," Zhou said.

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the country is facing one of the biggest disasters in its modern history.

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