Ukraine's president signs decree for humanitarian aid to quake-hit Türkiye

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday signed a decree to provide humanitarian aid to Türkiye after two powerful earthquakes shook the country's southern regions.

A statement by Zelenskyy's office said the decree was signed "in order to help overcome the consequences of the emergency situation that has developed in the Republic of Türkiye as a result of the earthquake."

The decree orders the provision of humanitarian aid to Türkiye and the Cabinet of Ministers to ensure that the necessary efforts are carried out.

On Monday, Zelenskyy voiced Kyiv's readiness to provide "the necessary aid to overcome the results of the disaster" in a statement on Twitter, further extending his condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish people.

Separately, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said dozens of rescuers could help search and rescue operations in Türkiye, adding that the Foreign Ministry received 20 appeals from Ukrainian citizens who could not get in touch with their relatives in the country.

At least 3,432 people have been killed and 21,103 others injured in 10 provinces of Türkiye after two strong earthquakes jolted the country's southern parts on Monday.​​​​​​​

Early Monday morning, a 7.7 magnitude tremor struck the Pazarcik district of Türkiye's Kahramanmaras province, then about nine hours later, a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras’ Elbistan district rocked the region, affecting several other provinces.​​​​​​​

More than 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble of destroyed buildings so far, while more than 24,000 personnel remain engaged in search and rescue operations, according to latest official figures.