Following quakes, Greece vows to continue to support Turkish, Syrian people ‘in hour of need’
Greece among 1st countries to extend condolences, support to quake-hit Türkiye
ANKARA
In the aftermath of two major earthquakes in southern Türkiye, near the border, Greece on Friday to vowed to continue to support the Turkish and Syrian people “in their hour of need.”
Speaking at the diplomatic academy in Asuncion, Paraguay, where he is on an official visit, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said: “The catastrophic earthquakes in Türkiye and Syrıa showed, by the reactions of both the Greek and the Turkish societies, that people are much closer than their leaderships sometimes think.”
Nearly 19,000 people were killed and over 75,500 others injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, according to the latest official figures.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in Türkiye’s Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 Turkish provinces, also including Hatay, Kilis, and Malatya.
In northwestern Syria, across the border, almost 3,384 were killed.
Neighboring Greece is among the first countries which extended condolences and support to Türkiye.
As Greek rescuers actively participate in rescue missions, numerous public institutions, citizens’ initiatives, and trade unions have organized aid drives for the quake victims.
