ANKARA

Türkiye is “deeply saddened” by the loss of lives in floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka,” the ministry said in a statement.

“We extend our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and to the people of Sri Lanka,” the statement read.

Cyclone Ditwah, which hit Sri Lanka on Nov. 26, has affected 373,428 people from 102,877 families, while 43,925 have been relocated to 488 shelters in response to the crisis.

At least 123 people have died and 130 others gone missing due to massive flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka following the cyclone.

Severe weather, including intense rainfall, rising floodwaters, and landslides, has been impacting the island since Nov. 17.

Authorities have also issued high-risk flood alerts for several major rivers, advising people living downstream of these waterways to evacuate immediately.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered the deployment of more than 20,000 military personnel to conduct rescue operations, according to the Daily Mirror.

Authorities earlier issued a red-alert landslide warning for eight high-risk districts, signaling a severe risk to steep slopes, hillside communities, and vulnerable zones.

According to the All India Radio, Ditwah is likely to move India’s southern coast in Tamil Nadu state by early Sunday, disrupting flight services and education in some regions.