turkey earthquake

Israeli FM meets Turkish Pres after rescue mission

  •   FM Cohen meets with President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
  • 2/14/2023
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    Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen met today with President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.

    Israeli search and rescue teams working in the southern Turkish city of Marash have returned home after rescuing upward of 20 victims. The Israeli teams reportedly employed new techniques of reaching victims trapped underneath the rubble by digging underneath the building in order to reach their target by drilling upwards.​

    Cohen expressed his condolences for the disaster and emphasized Israel's commitment to continue providing support and assistance for the Turkish people as needed.

    “At the meeting, I also brought up the issue of the Israeli civilians and the bodies of the soldiers in the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza, and we discussed the fight against the Iranian nuclear program,” he said.

    Last night (Monday the 13th), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in the welcoming ceremony for the Israeli rescue mission to Türkiye – 'Olive Branch' – upon its return to Israel, together with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, mission commander Col. (Res.) Golan Vach and Turkish Ambassador to Israel Sakir Ozkan Torunlar.

    "We saw you in action in the cold, in difficult conditions around the clock in the most sacred work a person can do – saving the lives of others," Netanyahu said. "You showed the entire world the true and beautiful face of the State of Israel: A small country with a huge soul, a country that rushes to help others around the world and in the harshest conditions, out of humanity and the highest morality."

    Also present, Defense Minister Gallant told team members that "alongside our unyielding fight to defend our homeland and our citizens against our enemies, we have always known how to extend a hand to all those in distress and who need help."

     

     
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  • Erdoğan expresses gratitude for Israel's stand alongside its friend​


    ​President Isaac Herzog spoke last Tuesday with President Erdoğan and asked to give him and the whole Turkish people encouragement following the disaster of the terrible earthquake that struck Türkiye and the region overnight.

    The President expressed his condolences on behalf of the Israeli people to President Erdoğan and noted that on the instructions of the Prime Minister and the relevant authorities, a large and well-equipped search and rescue mission on behalf of the State of Israel will depart tonight to the disaster zone. The President added that at an event he attended today, he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and they agreed that we in Israel are united in our desire to assist Türkiye inasmuch as is needed.

    President Erdoğan thanked President Herzog for his condolences and for the rescue mission, and he underscored that this assistance will greatly aid the many forces that have been operating on the ground for many hours already. He also emphasized his gratitude for Israel's stand alongside its friend, Türkiye, at this difficult hour. In their conversation, President Erdoğan updated President Herzog on the latest figures about the scale of the disaster, noting that this was the biggest earthquake in the history of the Republic of Türkiye.

    At the end of their conversation, President Erdoğan expressed his deepest condolences to the Israeli people for last week's terror attack at a synagogue in Neve Yaakov in Jerusalem.

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    In a discussion held by Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen and MFA Director-General Ronen Levi. with the participation of senior MFA officials and representatives of the National Security Council (NSC), the IDF and the Ministries of Defense and Health, it was decided to advance the dispatch of two aid delegations to the disaster area in Turkey within the next few hours.

    An initial rescue mission was immediately followed by a larger delegation, including extensive humanitarian aid in cooperation with other aid agencies. Israel’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Irit Lillian, and other security officials provided a comprehensive overview of the current situation in the area.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen: "We all participate in the sorrow of the Turkish people following tonight’s tragedy. I spoke earlier with my counterpart, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and expressed my deep sorrow. Today we are sending two professional delegations on behalf of the State of Israel, including representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to do everything we can to aid the victims. Israel today stands alongside Türkiye in its difficult hour."

    MFA Dir-Gen Ronen Levi: “This is a dramatic event, unfortunately, we are used to such events. We must be prepared to take care of anyone who needs help. We must act as quickly as possible in order to save lives; the knowledge accumulated by MFA missions in the field is extremely important for the success of handling this incident."