Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces hit by devastating earthquakes and several aftershocks that have killed thousands of people and turned buildings to rubble across southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria.
“We have decided to declare a state of emergency to ensure that our [rescue and recovery] work can be carried out quickly,” Erdogan said in televised remarks on Tuesday, a day after a first 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in southern Turkey. The tremor was followed by dozens of powerful aftershocks, including another magnitude 7.6 quake.
