PRINT

OSCE Permanent Council 1410 Vienna, 09 February 2023

09.02.2023
Vienna
Press and information team of the Delegation to UN and OSCE in Vienna

EU Statement on the earthquakes in Türkiye

  1. The European Union and its Member States express their deepest condolences to the Government and the people of Türkiye over the tragic loss of life following the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the Gaziantep region on 6 February. We are deeply shocked and saddened by the reports of the devastation and the growing death toll of more than 16,000, which is regretfully expected to continue to rise. Our thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones and the brave responders working tirelessly to rescue those still trapped. We wish a speedy recovery to all those injured.
  2. A majority of EU Member States have already mobilised search and rescue teams for Türkiye, including through the activation of the EU’s Integrated Political Crisis Response and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and the EU is working with humanitarian partners to support those affected also in Syria.  Dozens of search and rescue teams and medical teams, including over 1,500 rescuers and 100 search dogs, have so far been sent to Türkiye to help first responders on the ground. The EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has also established an EU Civil Protection Team of experts from numerous Member States who have been immediately deployed to Türkiye to support the operations. In addition, local communities, NGOs and media outlets throughout the EU have launched large-scale fundraising and in-kind assistance campaigns to support the victims on the ground.
  3. We stand in solidarity with our Turkish friends and will continue to provide humanitarian support as necessary in the wake of this unfathomable tragedy.

The Candidate Countries TÜRKIYE, NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, SERBIA*, ALBANIA*, UKRAINE, the REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, and BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA*, the Potential Candidate Country GEORGIA, and the EFTA country ICELAND, member of the European Economic Area, as well as ANDORRA and SAN MARINO align themselves with this statement.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.