The quake, which has cost thousands
of lives so far, is one of the most devastating in the region in
recent history. While Turkey is not a member of the EU and
relations have not always been smooth, offers of assistance came
quickly. Providing assistance for victims in Syria, however, may
yet prove more difficult, with more than a decade of civil war
making humanitarian access to many regions hard.
By Friday afternoon, the number of deaths in the aftermath of
the earthquake and aftershocks along the Turkish-Syrian border
had surpassed 22,000, as hopes of still finding survivors in the
rubble faded by the hour.
Following the disaster, European Commissioner for Crisis
Management Janez Lenarčič announced that the so-called EU Civil
Protection Mechanism, through which other countries can request
emergency assistance from the EU, had been activated.
The mechanism, established by the European Commission in October
2001, aims to strengthen cooperation on civil protection to
improve prevention, preparedness and response to disasters
between the EU Member States and 8 participating third countries
(Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, North
Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey).
Turkey, soon after it was rocked by the earthquake, requested
assistance through the mechanism. Following the request, the
EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) began to
mobilize assistance and expertise.
On Wednesday, Syria also requested assistance by appealing to
the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism. When Damascus made the
move, Lenarčič said the European Commission was asking European
countries "to respond favorably to this request."
The Syrian government launched an appeal to the EU to lift
sanctions against the country. Lenarčič pointed out that the
measures were introduced after the Syrian civil war erupted in
2011, and are targeted solely at the regime for its repression
of the population. These sanctions would not hinder the delivery
of humanitarian aid or emergency assistance, he assured.
The operations in Turkey and Syria are among the largest search
and rescue operations ever launched under the EU's Civil
Protection Mechanism. In addition, the European Union is
releasing 6.5 million euros in emergency humanitarian assistance
for the victims of the devastating earthquakes, the European
Commission announced on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Commissioner Lenarčič traveled to Turkey to visit
the affected areas. In the early afternoon, he arrived in
Gaziantep, a city in the south-eastern part of the country near
the epicenter of the earthquake.
European rescue squads join forces
The EU, together with other countries in Europe and beyond,
responded with humanitarian aid from the onset of the emergency
in Turkey and Syria.
Up until Thursday, European countries had deployed a total of 31
rescue teams and 5 medical teams, composed of over 1,500 rescue
personnel and about 100 rescue dogs. The teams were dispatched
from 20 European countries, including numerous EU member states,
Albania, Montenegro and Serbia via the EU Civil Protection
Mechanism.
On Monday, Romania was among the first countries to respond to
Turkey's request for international assistance through the EU
Civil Protection Mechanism. A comprehensive support team of 58
people has been deployed, the Romanian Department for Emergency
Situations announced. On Wednesday, three military airplanes of
the Romanian Air Force transported a rescue team, medical
personnel, search-and-rescue materials and equipment, as well as
basic supplies to Turkey. Currently, two support teams from
Romania are present in Turkey.
Also on Monday, two Bulgarian military transport aircraft flew
to the region hit by the disaster, carrying 73 rescuers and over
30 units of specialized equipment. On Wednesday, Sofia sent two
teams of its Military Medical Academy, 58 firefighters and 12
rescuers to Turkey and, on Thursday, said it was ready to
provide 30 more medics and secure one or two more flights to
Adana on Saturday. The cost of these flights is to be reimbursed
by the EU.
The spokeswoman of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak
Republic, Zuzana Eliášová, said on Monday that Slovakia is
sending ten members of its Fire and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) and five
mountain rescuers with specially trained dogs to Turkey.
Slovakia sent the aid in response to a request from the European
Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC). The deployment of
the teams from HaZZ and the Mountain Rescue Service was
supported by the European Union.
Slovenia sent a group of seven rescue dogs with handlers plus
four assistants to Turkey on Tuesday. It also sent an expert to
assist with coordination under the European Civil Protection
Mechanism. Two more assessment and coordination experts from
Slovenia are ready to depart if called upon.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated that 40 rescuers
from Croatia, including members of the Civil Protection
Directorate, firefighting units and the Croatian Mountain Rescue
Service (HGSS), had left for Turkey Monday evening.
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved half
a million euros from the state budget with the aim of repairing
damages after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey. Around 100
members of civil protection have been sent to Turkey so far.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior activated the Military
Emergency Unit, personnel from the Community of Madrid and
emergency air transport to support search tasks. In addition, a
field hospital will be sent to the disaster area by the Spanish
Agency for International Cooperation and Development.
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