Azernews.Az

Rena Murshud

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Azerbaijan has expressed condolences to Turkiye over the devastating earthquake that occurred this morning in the city of Kahramanmaras, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a letter of condolence to Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the numerous casualties and destruction caused by the terrible earthquake.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of numerous casualties and destruction as a result of the strong earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaras and was felt in many parts of brotherly Turkiye. We are ready to provide all kinds of assistance at this difficult moment," the letter read.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also expressed condolences to Turkiye in a Twitter post.

"We received the news about the loss of life and destruction as a result of the strong earthquake that occurred in the city of Kahramanmaras, in brotherly Turkiye. We offer our deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased. Azerbaijan is always with Turkiye," the ministry stressed.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and conveyed his condolences to the families of those who died as a result of the strong earthquake, as well as to the government and people of Turkiye. The minister wished the injured to recover soon.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan is always with brotherly Turkiye and is ready to provide every assistance in the direction of eliminating the consequences of the earthquake.

For his turn, Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan for solidarity and support.

As instructed by the Azerbaijani president, the rapid rescue forces, made up of 370 people, left for the fraternal Turkiye to join the search and rescue operations.

Similarly, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov sent his condolences to his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar.

"I was deeply saddened by the news that people were killed and injured as a result of a strong earthquake in Turkiye. Your pain is our pain. We are always with fraternal Turkiye. I pray for mercy to those who died as a result of this tragedy, share the pain of their loved ones, and offer my deepest condolences to their families. I wish recovery to all the injured. Rest in peace," the letter reads.

The Azerbaijani embassy in Ankara also expressed condolences to Turkiye.

"We express our condolences and wish healing to the injured as a result of the earthquake that occurred in Pazarcik District of Kahramanmarash and was also felt in nearby cities. We are with you, Turkiye!", the message said.

The Organization of Turkic States sent its condolences to Turkiye and stated that it stands with the fraternal nation during this difficult period.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center reports that on January 6, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake was felt in central Turkiye. The epicenter of the earthquake was 26 kilometers from Gaziantep, which has a population of about 1.06 million. The earthquake's epicenter was located 7 km below the surface. According to Turkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, three more earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.4 to 6.6 shook the province of Gaziantep in southeast Turkiye.

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