London/Ankara | British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken on the phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pledging the UK’s “strong support” to Turkey. A Downing Street spokeswoman said on Tuesday that Sunak also expressed her deepest sympathies for the tragic loss caused by the quake, the BBC reported.
The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey is now 5,894, while the figure on the border in Syria is 1,932.
The Prime Minister has confirmed that 77 British teams and rescue teams arrived in Gaziantep today with special equipment and sniffer dogs at the request of the Turkish government, the spokesman said.
President Erdogan thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s solidarity in response to this tragedy and welcomed international search and rescue and medical assistance for the initial emergency response.
The Prime Minister also noted the humanitarian situation on the border in north-west Syria, where Turkey plays a key coordinating role, and set out how the UK has increased support for aid organizations and emergency responders.
