Türkiye urges OSCE reforms to develop cooperation in natural disasters among member states

ANKARA

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) can be a platform for developing cooperation between member states in natural disasters, said the Turkish foreign minister on Monday.

The 57-member OSCE is one of the largest organizations after the UN in terms of the number of member states, Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference with OSCE Chairman-in-Office and North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani and OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid.

The organization is based on a comprehensive understanding of security, and it could also be a platform for the development of cooperation between member states in natural disasters, he said.

Saying that creating such a platform would be "highly beneficial," Cavusoglu said Türkiye would contribute and work for this.

Citing North Macedonia's term presidency motto "It's About People," he said: "This actually coincides with our country's entrepreneurial and humanitarian foreign policy."

Pledging to continue working closely with North Macedonia during its OSCE term presidency, Cavusoglu said they addressed items on the group’s agenda during the trilateral meeting.

On Russia's war in Ukraine, Cavusoglu said: "The OSCE had a special observation mission in Ukraine and it had to evacuate amid the war. At the head of this mission were two Turkish diplomats."

Aside from the OSCE's budget and reforms, Cavusoglu said he and Osmani discussed Turkish-North Macedonian relations.

Hailing the ties between the two countries, he stressed "historical and cultural ties" and said: "We have a strong partnership bond. Turks living in North Macedonia are also an important element that connects North Macedonia and us."

He also thanked the OSCE and member states for their solidarity during such difficult times.

Unity and solidarity

For his part, Osmani said their visit came at a "very devastating time."

"This disaster has created a pain that we cannot express in any way," he said.

Saying that ties between countries reach the strongest level in times of crisis, he added: "These are the times when humanity is tested. This tragedy reminds us how important it is to stand together. It shows how important unity and solidarity are."

He underscored that the OSCE's mission in dealing with natural disasters is narrow. During North Macedonia’s term presidency, Osmani said the OSCE will focus on additional mechanisms that can be created in this sense and evaluate what can be done in the future in similar tragedies.

Separately, OSCE Secretary General Schmid conveyed her condolences over the quakes and pledged to provide support to Türkiye.

Saying that she arrived in Ankara after attending the Munich Security Conference, Schmid said: "We all underlined the importance of being together and giving support in the face of this tragedy. We will continue to stand by Türkiye."

More than 41,100 people have been killed by the two strong quakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest figures.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis, Osmaniye, Elazig, 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 less than 10 hours.