UAE foreign minister visits Türkiye's earthquake zone

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - The United Arab Emirates' foreign minister paid a visit to quake-hit areas in Türkiye's Kahramanmaras province, according to local media reports on Sunday.

UAE-based daily Al-Ittihad covered Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to the area, making him the third foreign minister to visit the region since last Monday’s quakes.

Pledging to provide necessary support and aid to Türkiye in the wake of the temblors, Al Nahyan also expressed his "sincere" condolences and sympathy to those affected by the earthquakes.

Al Nahyan also met with Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, according to the report.

The temblors caused widespread damage and killed over 29,000 people in Türkiye’s south and southeast, according to the latest figures.

A 7.7 magnitude tremor struck the Kahramanmaras province early Monday. Nine hours later, a 7.6 magnitude quake, also centered in Kahramanmaras, rocked the region, affecting several other provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

The earthquake was also felt in neighboring countries in the region, including Lebanon and Syria.