The purpose of the visit was to express his sorrow over the devastating earthquake which struck Turkey and Syria last week, resulting in the death of over 35,000 people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
Despite a week passing since the earthquake, Turkish media reported that a few people are still being pulled from the rubble and that the survivors are facing harsh conditions due to the shortage of water, toilets, and hygiene. As a result of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, 35,224 people have been confirmed dead, with 31,643 of them in Turkey and 3,581 of them in Syria, making it the fifth deadliest since the turn of the 21st century.
In addition, the Pakistani military has deployed its search and rescue team to assist in the relief effort. During 120 hours of tireless work, the army rescued over six people, recovered 80 bodies, and returned them to their families. Search and rescue teams from Pakistan, including two from the country, provided assistance to residents of Adiyaman, one of the ten provinces affected by the earthquake.
According to the international media, the Pakistani army played an important role in the relief operation in Turkey, winning the hearts of the Turkish people. In Turkey, the army’s rescue team was continuously engaged in rescue operations at ten different locations.
During his visit to the Turkish embassy, the Prime Minister was accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarrar, SAPM Attaullah Tarrar, and SAPM Tariq Fatemi. As part of the visit, Prime Minister Sharif expressed his condolences to Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Paçaci and prayed for the victims of the earthquake. Assuring the ambassador that Pakistan stands in strong unity with the people of Turkey, he assured him that rescue and relief efforts will continue until the last affected person has been rehabilitated.
PM Sharif recorded his remarks in a condolence book regarding the relief efforts of Pakistan for the earthquake victims in Turkey. He thanked the ambassador and the people of Turkey for their outpouring of sympathy and support. According to the Turkish ambassador, the Turkish people are deeply touched by the outpouring of sympathy and support from the entire country.
