Search and rescue teams have pulled out over 8,000 people from debris since quakes last week: Erdogan

ANKARA: Turkiye is grateful to all the countries for the help they provided for the search and rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of the powerful twin earthquakes, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

In a video message sent to the World Government Summit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the Turkish leader said the teams have pulled out more than 8,000 people alive from the quake debris since the strong tremors struck southern Turkiye last week, reported Anadolu Agency.

He also said a large number of over 81,000 people injured in the earthquakes have been discharged from hospitals.

"I would like to thank once again to all the friendly and sisterly countries that have been collecting aid for our nation day and night, supporting our search and rescue efforts with their teams, and not forgetting us in their prayers," Erdogan added.

Turkiye, which is facing one of the "greatest natural disasters" not only in its history but also in the history of humanity, will never forget "the friendship you showed on this dark day," he said.

The earthquake disaster "once again showed the importance of international solidarity," he stressed, as Turkiye has received messages of support and condolences from more than 100 countries, including the United Arab Emirates who is hosting the summit.

"The importance of both bilateral and multilateral platforms has become evident today as the global system is surrounded by crises," Erdogan said, as he reiterated that "a fairer world is possible."

"In this regard, Turkiye and the Gulf countries constitute the main axis for the security, stability, prosperity and economic integration of our region. As Turkiye, we always say that we do not take our own stability and security into consideration separately from the stability and security of the Gulf region," he added.

The World Government Summit is being held under the theme of "Shaping Future Governments", and it brings leaders, global experts and decision makers from around the globe to share and contribute to the development of tools, policies, and models that are essential in shaping future governments, according to information on its website.

On Feb 6, two massive earthquakes struck southern Turkiye.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 tremors were centred in Kahramanmaras and hit nine other provinces - Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

They also hit several countries and caused widespread destruction in northern Syria.

Nearly 32,000 people were killed in Turkiye, according to the latest official figures, while the death toll topped 3,600 in Syria.

-- BERNAMA