Turkey requests NATO emergency earthquake relief assistance
Turkish authorities have requested emergency assistance from NATO allies on Monday in response to the strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake in the south of the country that has left more than 1,500 people dead in Turkey and Syria.
The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) has confirmed Turkey’s request, asking the other allies for emergency medical equipment, as well as rescue and search for survivors teams and field hospitals for extreme weather conditions.
Yesterday, shortly after the first death toll from the earthquake was announced, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed his “total solidarity” with Turkey as a NATO ally and said that NATO members are already in contact to provide assistance.
The EADRCC is NATO’s main civilian emergency response mechanism and involves all NATO allies and partner countries. It functions as an information exchange system to coordinate requests and offers of assistance, mainly in the event of natural disasters.
Speaking to the press, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that at least 912 people have died and 5,385 on Turkish territory following the quake, which he described as “the biggest disaster since the 1939 earthquake.”
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
