Erdogan declares state of emergency in 10 quake-hit provinces

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Tuesday a three-month state of emergency in 10 southeastern provinces hit by a major earthquake that has claimed thousands of lives.

“We declare the 10 provinces hit by earthquakes to be a ‘Disaster Area Affecting General Life.’ By the power vested in us by Article 119 of the Constitution, we have decided to declare a state of emergency for search and rescue operations and the following efforts to be carried out rapidly,” Erdoğan said at a press conference in the State Information Coordination Center.

“The gravity of the earthquake disaster we have experienced makes it imperative for us to implement extraordinary measures,” he said.

They will quickly complete the Presidency and parliament processes regarding the decision, he stated.

“In addition to the units affiliated to our ministries, all our municipalities send aid to the region regardless of party,” Erdoğan stated.

A total of 53,317 search and rescue staff and support personnel currently are working in the earthquake zone so far, he said. Some 54,000 tents, 102,000 beds and other necessities have been sent to the region, he explained adding that nearly 1,000 ambulances, 241 UMKE teams and 5,000 medical personnel and two ambulance aircraft were dispatched to the region.

Turkey, and neighboring Syria, are reeling from two consecutive earthquakes — the region's strongest in nearly a century — that have devastated huge swathes of territory, taking lives and buildings with it.