Germany launches airlift in support of quake victims in Türkiye

BERLIN (AA) - Germany is sending three planes carrying tents and other relief supplies to earthquake victims in Türkiye, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Friday.

“This is a natural disaster with incredible dimensions, we are really deeply affected. We stand with Türkiye,” Faeser told a joint news conference with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the Wunstorf Air Base.

Faeser said three military cargo planes will take off from the military base on Friday, with 40 tons of relief supplies organized by the THW, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief.

Defense Minister Pistorius stressed that the German Air Force will continue these flights as long as it is necessary.

“This is a horrific natural disaster. As the German armed forces and its members, our thoughts are with the victims, with their relatives who are now mourning, and who have to deal with this difficult situation. It’s just horrible, hard to put into words,” he said.

Over 18,300 people were killed and 74,000 injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, according to the latest official figures.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Adiyaman, Gaziantep and Hatay.

In neighboring Syria, the death toll was over 3,300, with more than 5,200 people wounded, according to media reports.