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https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/turkey-earthquake-latest-020623/h_8a7b8a70c02b050f6c56b78f82685327
Powerful quake kills thousands in Turkey and Syria
By Tara Subramaniam, Rhea Mogul, Adam Renton, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Elise Hammond and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN
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Several archeological sites damaged in Syria after earthquake, agency says
From CNN's Mia Alberti in Lisbon
Several archeological sites in Syria were damaged following the powerful earthquake that shook the region on Monday morning, according to Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM).
The 13th century Aleppo Citadel "suffered minor and moderate damage in which parts of the Ottoman mill fell, [there is] cracking and falling of parts of the northeast defensive fences. Large parts of the dome of the lighthouse of the Ayubi Mosque also fell, the entrances to the castle were damaged, and parts of the stone, including the entrance of the royal defense tower, and the front of the Ottoman refuge were damaged", DGAM said in a Facebook post.
Syria’s once-storied, ancient city of Aleppo in the country’s northwest was seriously damaged in the ongoing civil war, but reopened in 2018 after reconstruction work DGAM says that artifacts inside the National Museum in Aleppo were damaged in Monday’s earthquake.
DGAM also reports damage to historical buildings and mosques in the Hama Governorate in western-central Syria, such as cracks in the structure and collapsed walls in the Imam Ismail Mosque and the Shmemis Castle.
The Al-Marqab Castle, a Crusader fortress near Baniyas, in Northwest Syria, also suffered damage, including the collapse of a block from one of its circular towers. "The tremor also led to the fall of the rock cliff in the vicinity of the Qadous Castle and the collapse of some residential buildings situated in the castle's campus," DGAM said.
Experts are still studying the full extent of the damage to the historical sites and surrounding historical buildings and neighborhoods. DGAM says it has not received "accurate information" about damage in the city of Homs.
At least 2,701 killed in Turkey and Syria
From CNN's Mia Alberti, Hira Humayun, Isil Sariyuce and Hande Atay Alam
The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,701 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.
The total number of injured in Turkey and Syria climbed to 13,572 on Monday.
The total death toll in Syria rose to 1,050. New agency SANA reports 570 deaths across government-controlled areas and the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 480 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.
The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651, according to Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay. There are now 9,733 people injured in Turkey, Oktay also said.
At least 11,119 people have been injured in Turkey and 2,453 have been injured in Syria following the earthquake.
More than 300 Russian soldiers assisting with earthquake aftermath in Syria, defense ministry says
From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova
Ten units of the Russian army with a total of more than 300 soldiers are involved in clearing debris and helping in search and rescue operations in Syria following devastating earthquake and aftershocks in the country, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu “instructed the commander of the Russian (forces) in Syria to provide assistance," according to the statement.
The ministry said that Russian soldiers are mainly assisting in the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.
The servicemen are clearing debris, searching for victims and providing them with medical assistance, the statement said.
Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged assistance to Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake.
Some background: Russia is the strongest foreign power operating in Syria, and Putin has long allied himself with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, throwing the full weight of the Russian military behind the Syrian Army.
Turkish president declares a week of national mourning
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce and Hande Atay Alam
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning due to the earthquake.
Erdogan wrote in his tweet, "Due to the earthquakes that took place in our country on February 6, 2023, a national mourning period was declared for seven days. Our flag will fly at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, all over our country and within the foreign representations."
US is in the process of "deploying additional teams" to Turkey, White House says
From CNN's Betsy Klein
In addition to US personnel on the ground, the US is “in the process of deploying additional teams, including two 79-person urban search and rescue teams to support Turkish search and rescue efforts," National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said.
The United States Agency for International Development and the Pentagon are “now coordinating” with their Turkish counterparts on assistance.
“This is a very fluid situation – things are moving, conversations are happening,” Kirby added.
Death toll climbs to 1,651 in Turkey
From Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the death toll climbed to 1,651 in southern Turkey after the devastating earthquake on Monday.
Koca also said 11,199 people were injured across 10 provinces of Turkey.
NGO head and his family take refuge in car after quake, but says Syrians he serves are not so lucky
From CNN's Jennifer Deaton
Dr. Mazen Kewara, the Turkey director for the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), spoke to CNN from his car after he and his family took refuge in it and described the “horrible” earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.
“I am talking with you from my car," Kewara told CNN’s Becky Anderson. He said he’d been in his vehicle since 5 a.m. local time, more than 14 hours, with his family, including his kids. The earthquake was “something horrible," he added. “This is our first time to experience such a thing. And the weather condition is very difficult.”
SAMS is an NGO that provides medical care to help Syrians on the frontlines of war or in this case natural disaster, and Kewara runs the operation that serves northwest Syria from its base in Gaziantep in southern Turkey.
Kewara, who is Syrian, also said that after 11 years serving Syrians, “This is our first time to see ourselves directly with the victims.”
Kewara continued: “Previously we were responding to them and supporting them from our central office in Gaziantep. Today, we are victims like them. Directly we experience the same earthquake, horrible earthquake. But fortunately, we have vehicles. We can stay in our vehicles. But the people in northwest Syria, 4.5 million are IDPs (internally displaced persons) coming from different areas because of the 11-year war in Syria.”
He went on to say that because of the “very very poor infrastructure," “everything is run by NGOs” in northwest Syria.
Mazen also drew a clear distinction between Turkey’s capabilities in dealing with the earthquake, versus the situation in northwest Syria.
“Things that the Turkish government can do for its people, the people of northwest Syria lack," he told CNN.
He also said that SAMS alone had dealt with 180 earthquake deaths and 800 casualties.
Turkey and Syria death toll from the earthquake climbs to more than 2,500
From CNN's Mia Alberti, Hira Humayun, Isil Sariyuce and Hande Atay Alam
The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,509 following a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in southern Turkey early Monday.
The total number of injured in Turkey and Syria climbed to 12,136 on Monday.
The total death toll in Syria rose to 968. Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported 538 across government-controlled areas and the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 430 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.
The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,541, according to Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay. There are now 9,733 people injured in Turkey, Oktay also said.
Turkey has at least 9,733 and Syria has 2,403 injured people following the devastating earthquake.
US agency reports more than 50 aftershocks in Turkey
From CNN's Haley Brink
At least 54 aftershocks measuring 4.3 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey, which is a scientific agency of the US government.
Three of the aftershocks have measured 6.0 or greater, including the massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck 95 kilometers (about 59 miles) north of the epicenter of the morning’s main quake.
The aftershocks stretch for more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) along the fault zone that ruptured in southern Turkey, oriented from southwest to northeast and stretching from the border with Syria up through the province of Malatya.
White Helmets' capabilities are "not enough" to handle the large scale devastation in Syria, volunteer says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
A White Helmets volunteer working through the devastation in Syria says the organization does not have enough to handle this disaster.
"Our teams are working around the clock to help to save the injured people. But our capabilities, our powers are not enough to handle this disaster. This disaster is bigger than any organization in northwest Syria," Ismail Alabdullah told CNN. "This disaster needs international efforts to handle."
The winter is making the situation worse for people who already suffer under the lack of basic necessities, Alabdullah said.
"Most of them were displaced from other parts of Syria during the last 12 years of bombing and killing," he said, adding that any help they receive will be spent on saving people "from under the rubble."
Many Syrians have been displaced as many as 20 times, according to International Rescue Committee's Mark Kaye, who spoke to CNN earlier Monday.
Before daylight, Alabdullah said the team on ground thought it could handle the impact, which it assumed would be limited to a few sites. However, when daylight revealed the large scale of devastation, he said, "we were shocked."
"What do we need most right now is for us as rescue workers is heavy equipment that helps us in removing mountains of rubble," he told CNN. "We need medical supplies for those who we saved from under the rubble. All of this is the urgent need for us.
Alabdullah said he hopes that countries "believe in human values and human rights" and send support to Syria. "We don't want to see that people stay under the rubble for weeks or days. We need immediate response from everyone, so we can help and end this disaster ... We don't want to see [more] people dying more," he added.
Greek prime minister offers assistance in call with Turkey's president
From CNN’s Hira Humayun
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he spoke to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday and offered to provide “all further assistance necessary" following devastating earthquakes.
“I just spoke to President @RTErdogan. On behalf of the Greek people, I extended my deepest condolences for the devastating loss of life and reiterated our readiness to provide all further assistance necessary,” the prime minister said in a tweet.
Here's how you can help victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
From CNN's Julia Chan
More than 2,300 people have died and thousands more are hurt after a massive earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria Monday morning. The magnitude 7.8 quake was one of the strongest to strike the area in more than a century. Amid severe aftershocks, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) called for international help.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says it is “launching immediate cash assistance” from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund to help relief efforts in both countries.
Many other organizations are also on the ground responding. CNN’s Impact Your World has gathered ways to help victims of the massive earthquake.
You can read more about how you can help here.
Putin pledges assistance in separate phone calls with Turkey's Erdogan and Syria's Assad
From CNN’s Anna Chernova, Isil Sariyuce and Uliana Pavlova
Russian President Vladimir Putin held separate calls with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad, on Monday and pledged Moscow's assistance in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes, according to a Kremlin readout.
Putin expressed “deep condolences over the devastating earthquakes” to Erdogan and “reaffirmed his readiness to immediately provide the Turkish partners with the necessary assistance in eliminating the consequences of this natural disaster,” the readout said.
According to the Russian readout, Erdogan “warmly thanked” Putin and said that he was instructing the competent departments of the country to accept the help of Russian rescuers.
In a conversation with Assad, Putin also conveyed his condolences and “offered to provide the Syrian side with the necessary assistance in eliminating the consequences of this disaster” which Assad accepted, according to the Kremlin.
“Bashar al-Assad accepted this offer with gratitude, and in the next few hours, rescuers from the Russian Emergencies Ministry will fly to Syria,” the Kremlin readout went on to say.
Some background: Russia is the strongest foreign power operating in Syria, and Putin has long allied himself with Assad, throwing the full weight of the Russian military behind the Syrian Army.
Earthquake impacted region of Syria where 4.1 million depend on humanitarian assistance, UN says
From CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh in Istanbul
The region of northwest Syria, which was impacted by the deadly earthquake on Monday, has 4.1 million people who rely on humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday.
The majority of these people are women and children and along with the devastation from the earthquake, Syrian communities are battling an ongoing cholera outbreak amid a harsh winter with heavy rain and snow over the weekend, OCHA said in its statement.
“The UN and partners are monitoring the situation on the ground amidst information flow constraints due to chronic telecommunication disruptions and power shortages. Infrastructural damages are difficult to assess at this time and roads have been reportedly blocked in both Türkiye and north-west Syria,” OCHA added.
The powerful earthquake rocked multiple towns in Syria. Here's a look at the devastation
From CNN photo
At least 820 people are reported dead in Syria following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports 430 deaths across government-controlled areas and the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 390 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.
Here are some visuals from the ground:
CNN journalist who felt the earthquake says aftershocks were "like Armageddon"
From CNN's Chris Liakos
A CNN producer said that the aftershocks of Monday’s powerful earthquake in Turkey were “like Armageddon.”
“I actually don’t believe I made it out," said Eyad Kourdi, who was in Gaziantep when the initial earthquake struck.
When the tremors began, Kourdi said his parents screamed and that he did his best to calm them down, assuring them it would be over soon.
The situation was "even more catastrophic" in the neighboring town of Pazarcik, where Kourdi visited, adding that as he was leaving he witnessed people running out of dozens of cars during a major aftershock, which measured 7.5 in magnitude.
While returning to Gaziantep, Kourdi reported seeing five kilometers (more than three miles) of traffic as people queued to evacuate the city.
Turkey and Syria death toll climbs to 2,361
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,361 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.
The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,541, according to Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay. There are now 9,733 people injured in Turkey, Oktay also said.
The total death toll in Syria is 820. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports 430 deaths across government-controlled areas and the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 390 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.
France and Spain will send more than 200 rescue workers to Turkey
From CNN's Dalal Mawad and Al Goodman
Spain and France each announced Monday they will send rescue workers to Turkey to assist in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.
A total of 139 French civil security rescue workers will fly to Turkey on Monday evening to assist with search and rescue efforts, France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
In a tweet, Darmanin said the response came “at the request of the president of the republic,” and is “part of the European solidarity mechanism.”
“France stands in full solidarity with Turkey in these terrible circumstances,” the minister added.
Spain will send a group of 85 specialists to Turkey on Monday to support search and rescue operations, the country's interior ministry said in a statement.
One team, with 50 members from the defense ministry's military emergencies unit, will leave from the Moron air force base in southern Spain, according to the ministry. A second team, with 35 members from the Madrid regional government's emergency response unit, will leave on a flight from the Torrejon air force base near Madrid.
The European Union mechanism for civil protection has confirmed Turkey's acceptance of this aid from Spain, the ministry added.
Israeli source claims Syria asked Russia to convey its request for earthquake aid. Syrian source denies it
From CNN’s Amir Tal in Jerusalem and Mostafa Salem in Abu Dhabi
An Israeli security source told CNN that Syria asked Russia to convey a request for earthquake aid to Israel, but a Syrian source denied this claim.
A request of that kind would be extraordinary: Israel and Syria are formally at war and have no diplomatic relations. An Israeli diplomatic source said he was not aware of any previous request for aid from a country it was formally at war with.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced earlier on Monday that he had approved a request from “a diplomatic element” for aid to Syria, and that he assumed it would be acted on “in the near future.”
An unnamed Syrian official source then categorically denied there had been such a request, telling a pro-government media outlet Al-Watan, “It is disgraceful that Netanyahu exploits the catastrophe of the earthquake that struck Syria to mislead public opinion and cover up the expansionist and aggressive policies of the occupation.”
Israel regularly sends search and rescue teams around the world in the wake of disasters. Israel formally offered aid to Lebanon in the wake of the devastating Beirut port explosion of 2020, but Lebanon – also officially at war with Israel – did not accept.
Biden says he has "authorized an immediate US response" to deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria
From CNN's Betsy Klein
US President Joe Biden has “authorized an immediate U.S. response” in the aftermath of a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria overnight.
“Jill and I were deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes that have thus far claimed thousands of lives in Turkiye and Syria. My Administration has been working closely with our NATO Ally Turkiye, and I authorized an immediate U.S. response,” Biden said in a statement Monday morning as CNN is learning that more than 2,000 people have been killed and rescue and recovery efforts continue.
Senior US officials, he said, are coordinating their Turkish counterparts on assistance needs.
“Our teams are deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and address the needs of those injured and displaced by the earthquake,” Biden said.
He added that “U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are also responding to the destruction in Syria.”
The President expressed condolences to those impacted by the earthquake.
Qatar and Kuwait will set up air bridge to Turkey to supply humantiarian aid
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi in Dubai
Qatar and Kuwait will set up an air bridge for the flow of humanitarian aid into Turkey.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Qatar’s International Search and Rescue Group (QSART) will fly to Turkey through the air bridge as soon as Monday, carrying with them specialized rescue and search vehicles, and relief aid, tents and winter supplies to set up field hospitals upon arrival, Qatar News Agency (QNA) said.
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also ordered the establishment of the air bridge to send “urgent aid and medical staff,” Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said in a statement.
Earthquake has led to "catastrophic situation" in Syria, International Rescue Committee official says
From CNN's Hira Humayun
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has led to a “catastrophic situation” in Syria, an official of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) told CNN.
“What we are seeing inside Syria really is a catastrophic situation,” said Mark Kaye, IRC's policy, advocacy and communications director for Middle East and North Africa.
The earthquake has made the situation worse for the already vulnerable and displaced populations in Syria, specifically the rural areas, Kaye said.
“For this area, you have to remember: This population [was] already highly vulnerable. They have a huge amount of people who have already been displaced — sometimes as many as 20 times ... Almost the majority of them are women and children, particularly vulnerable to the harsh weather and this earthquake,” Kaye said.
Displaced people living in makeshift camps are facing freezing winds and the camps are not equipped to withstand an earthquake of this intensity, he added.
“So today you will be seeing a lot of people being pulled out from the rubble. I think what we are really concerned about as well is those who have survived ... whether the health system is going to be able to really come to grip with that and not be completely overburdened,” Kaye told CNN.
Power cuts and a lack of communication across northern Syria have made search operations difficult, particularly in rural areas where the infrastructure is not built to withstand such a powerful earthquake, he explained.
He commended countries’ offers to send help to Turkey but said those commitments should translate to Syria as well, expressing concern that the "search and rescue operation really isn’t fit" for addressing the large numbers of people that may be affected.
UN is ready to support emergency response efforts in Turkey and Syria
From CNN's Hira Humayun
The UN is ready to support emergency response efforts following the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted on Monday.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye & Syria, and offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims,” he wrote.
Rescuers are now searching for survivors after the powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the region, leaving more than 2,000 people dead and thousands more injured.
More than a dozen Turkey provinces are under weather warnings
From CNN's Haley Brink
More than a dozen provinces in eastern Turkey are under yellow and orange weather warnings through Tuesday, which are Level 1 and 2 out of 3, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Services website.
These weather warnings have been issued due to snowy and windy conditions including the provinces of Osmaniye, Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, and Malatya, which have been experiencing several aftershocks over the last 12 hours.
Gaziantep, where the original 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred, is not included under any weather warnings, however, scattered rain showers and potential snow flurries are possible through Tuesday morning local time.
Temperatures are currently running around 5 to 8 degrees Celsius below average across the region. Low temperatures near the main earthquake’s epicenter are forecast to drop over the next couple of days. By Tuesday morning, temperatures will hover around the freezing mark but by Wednesday and Thursday morning temperatures will be several degrees below zero.
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