European Union: We carried out the largest rescue operation

The Head of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Nicholas Meyer-Landrut, said that the Union carried out the “largest search and rescue operation ever” during its relief activities for those affected by the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey.

This came in a speech he delivered on Wednesday during his participation in a symposium on “Women and Disasters” organized by the European Union Delegation to Turkey in partnership with the Eskişehir Municipality at the Municipality’s Palace of Culture and Arts on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Meyer-Landrut expressed his “sincere” condolences to the earthquake victims, stressing that the European Union has been providing aid to Turkey since the first day of the disaster.

“The European Union carried out the largest search and rescue operation ever to save as many lives as possible,” he added.

He explained that the member states of the European Union have sent search and rescue teams of more than 1,750 people, along with 111 trained dogs.

He continued, “Field hospitals were established, paramedics arrived, and the European Union provided shelter equipment, medical supplies, and in-kind aid.”

He stressed the need to make more efforts “to eliminate the long-term effects of this great destruction.”

He pointed out that their support and solidarity with Turkey will continue, pointing to the holding of a donors’ conference to help those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria during the second half of March, in response to the invitations of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Sweden, which holds the presidency of the current session of the European Council.

On February 6, two violent earthquakes hit southern Turkey and northern Syria, with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6, followed by thousands of violent aftershocks.

The disaster, which centered on Kahramanmaraş, claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and caused massive material damage to 11 states in southern Turkey.