Turkish minister: Over 25,000 servicemen involved in operations in earthquake zone PHOTO

The Turkish National Defence Ministry has tweeted that National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has said that 25,067 military personnel were involved in search and rescue operations in ten provinces of the country.

“Around 707 flights were made through the “air humanitarian corridor” to the earthquake zone (earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6) via 63 aircraft,” he noted, Caliber.Az reports citing the ministry’s message on Twitter.

Millî Savunma Bakanı Hulusi Akar başkanlığında Genelkurmay Başkanı Org. Güler, Kuvvet Komutanları, Bakan Yardımcısı Yunus Emre Karaosmanoğlu ile kuvvetlerin hareket merkezleri ve bölgesindeki birliklerin komutanlarının katılımı ile video telekonferans toplantısı gerçekleştirildi. pic.twitter.com/EHjLFAfwNY

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) February 11, 2023

The minister reminded that the crisis centre of the ministry was created half an hour after the first earthquake, and as a result of powerful tremors, facilities of the National Defence Ministry were also damaged, and some servicemen died.

“Shortly after the earthquake, the Incirlik Air Base was opened for civilian aircraft transporting rescuers and humanitarian aid, as well as evacuating the earthquake survivors. A logistics centre has been created at the air base, where cargoes are collected for further distribution,” Akar said.

He added that moreover, 57 helicopters have been sent to Incirlik to transport goods and have already made 710 flights.

The minister noted that unmanned aircraft also render assistance in coordinating work in the earthquake zone. The flight time of 41 drones has recently exceeded 394 hours.

He also drew attention to 24 Turkish Navy aircraft transporting humanitarian cargo and evacuating earthquake survivors.

Akar said that some hospitals in Kahramanmaras were greatly damaged as a result of the earthquake and a field hospital was set up in the city.

The Turkish minister noted that representatives of 43 countries and NATO sent words of support to the Turkish people through the Ministry of National Defence.