Russian president offers help to Syria, Türkiye after earthquake

Russian president offers help to Syria, Türkiye after earthquake

BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the aftermath of the earthquake, TurkicWorld reports via TASS.

"Dear President, please accept my deep condolences over the numerous human casualties and large-scale destruction caused by a powerful earthquake in your country," the Russian president's message says.

Putin asked Erdogan to convey words of sincere sympathy and support to the families and relatives of the victims, as well as wished for a speedy recovery to all those injured as a result of the strong earthquake.

The president assured that Moscow is ready to provide Ankara with all necessary assistance in connection with the earthquake that caused numerous casualties.

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake was recorded in central Türkiye on Monday, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center. The quake’s epicenter was located 26 km away from the city of Gaziantep with a population of about 1.06 million. The source of the earthquake was 7 km below the surface.

Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said that three more earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.4-6.6 rocked Gaziantep province in south-eastern Türkiye.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said 284 people were killed and 2,383 got injured in the quake.

As a result of the earthquake that hit Türkiye, strong tremors were also felt in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus.