Greek PM offers condolences to quake victims

By Furkan Naci Top

KOS, Greece

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Saturday offered condolences to victims' families of a deadly earthquake.

"I express my deep condolences to the relatives of the victims of the earthquake in Kos and I wish a rapid recovery to the injured," Tsipras shared via Facebook late Saturday.

"The entire operational mechanism is on the lookout from the very first moment in order to help in every way to deal with the consequences and from minute to fine restores the regularity," he said.

Tsipras also thanked EU foreign policy chief Federico Mogherini for "her support in these difficult times.

"Greece strongly supports the EU's international role. The promotion of peace, security and stability. In our neighborhood, with the challenges growing, we support the accession process of Turkey and the Western Balkans, on the basis of fulfilling the criteria that have been set," he said.

A Turkish citizen was among two people killed when a the powerful earthquake early Friday hit Kos, near the western Turkish coast.

The dead man was identified as Sinan Kurdoglu by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavusoglu.

The second victim of the magnitude-6.3 shock was a Swedish male, South Aegean Governor Giorgos Hadjimarkou said in televised remarks.

Four Turkish nationals were injured, one seriously. However, none of were in a life-threatening condition, a Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.