Dutch leader signs condolence book for Türkiye’s quake victims

By Anadolu Staff

LONDON (AA) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited the Turkish Embassy in The Hague to offer condolences Friday for the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye.

Rutte, accompanied by Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, extended condolences to Türkiye and its people for Monday's powerful quakes.

"Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones, both in Türkiye and Syria," Hoekstra wrote on Twitter, sharing the words he wrote in the embassy's condolence book.

"Words will always fall short in describing the pain and grief caused by this week’s terrible disaster that hit Türkiye and caused such tremendous suffering. The shock and sadness felt by many in the Netherlands reflect the closeness between our two countries," wrote Hoekstra.

Maltese President George Vella and his wife Miriam Vella visited the Turkish Embassy in Valletta and signed the condolence books.

"Following the devastating earthquake that claimed thousands of lives, I have conveyed my condolences to the people of the Republic of Türkiye at this tragic moment," he wrote on Twitter.

Later on Twitter, the embassy thanked Vella for his visit.

More than 20,300 people were killed and over 80,000 injured after two strong earthquakes jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, according to official figures.

The 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, have affected 13 million people across 10 Turkish provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.

In neighboring Syria, the death toll has climbed above 3,300, with more than 5,200 wounded.