Türkiye to never forget Azerbaijan's support after February 6 earthquake, says president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has emphasized Türkiye's deep gratitude to the countries that provided assistance after the devastating earthquake on February 6, with a special mention of Azerbaijan.

His remarks came during a press briefing following a Cabinet meeting, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

"We have not forgotten and will never forget the brotherly countries that came to Türkiye's aid after the earthquake, especially Azerbaijan," Erdoğan stated.

The president also highlighted the growing ties within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), noting that the cooperation between member nations is becoming stronger.

"We, in turn, will spare no effort to help our brothers whenever needed, mobilizing all our resources without expecting anything in return. We will stand by them," Erdoğan affirmed.

He also expressed Türkiye’s dedication to fulfilling the vision of the late Ismail Gasprinsky, who dreamed of unity in language, thought, and action among Turkic peoples. Erdoğan pledged to work collectively with the OTS to bring this vision to life.

Notably, the earthquakes that took place in Türkiye on February 6, 2023, caused a massive amount of death and injury. Azerbaijan became the first country to send a search and rescue team after Türkiye declared a fourth-level alert, which includes international assistance for the earthquake zone.

Azerbaijani teams, 899 personnel and 8 search and rescue dogs performed search and rescue work in Kahramanmaraş. On the other hand, according to the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, the state of Azerbaijan delivered humanitarian aid to Türkiye from the first day of the earthquake until February 17, with 15 planes and 350 trucks.

In addition, financial aid worth over 21 million manats ($12.4 million) was provided by Azerbaijani state institutions, private companies and individuals. In addition, Azerbaijani municipalities took an active part in the process with aid campaigns and delivered the collected aid to Türkiye.

By Khagan Isayev