Turkish president receiving support messages after deadly quakes

ANAKRA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to receive messages of support from world leaders after the Feb. 6 earthquakes in southern Türkiye, which have claimed the lives of more than 43,550 people.

On Thursday, Erdogan received Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara, where the premier offered condolences to Türkiye.

In a phone call with Erdogan, President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo and President of the Union of Comoros Azali Assoumani conveyed their condolences for those who lost their lives in the quakes and wished recovery to the injured, according to the Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

During the meetings and phone calls, the leaders expressed their support for Türkiye and their solidarity with the Turkish people, it added.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of fewer than 10 hours.