The 7.2-magnitude earthquake that shook Van and its surroundings in eastern Turkey left at least 600 dead and 4,150 injured, by the latest count. A week after the Oct. 23 disaster, focus has shifted from rescue to relief efforts, with dozens of countries offering, among them Armenia.
Reportedly to test its own ability to respond to such disasters, Turkey was initially unwilling to accept aid, except from neighbors Azerbaijan and Iran. Two days into rescue efforts, however, Turkey said it would allow in goods and relief workers from countries near and far, including Israel and Armenia. Now, tents, prefabricated homes, and containers are high on the list of necessities. On Oct. 27, Turkey sent an official aid request to Armenia, which had offered to send rescue workers to Van within hours of the quake.
While on official visit to Moscow, Armenian President Serge Sarkisian expressed his condolences to Turkish President Abdullah Gul, adding that “a specialized group of the Armenian rescuers stands ready to arrive at the epicenter and instantly to proceed with the rescue works.”
In the meantime, hopes to find survivors have almost entirely diminished. The last survivor was a teenage boy rescued from a pile of rubble early on Fri., Oct. 28, after 108 hours of being trapped. Tens of thousands have been left homeless, and sheltering the survivors is of prime concern, especially with the brutal Caucasus winter at the country’s doorstep.
Forty tons of supplies aboard an II-76 plane flew in from Yerevan on Oct. 28. A member of the Armenian rescue team, Gagik Kostandyan, told reporters gathered at the Erzurum airport that the cargo included 111 tents, 4,345 blankets, 36 beds, and 474 sleeping bags. “We are ready to offer every kind of support if needed. We would like the two countries to enjoy good relations. This is a humanitarian aid. We are two neighboring countries,” Kostandyan was quoted as saying.
The Turkish Red Crescent says it has distributed over 7,500 tents, 22,000 blankets, and food and water. Meanwhile, Israel dropped off prefabricated housing units and, most recently, the U.S. pledged to send in shelters.
The earthquake affected Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish-populated region, where days before Kurdish rebels had targeted Turkish troops, killing 24. The government responded by sending 10,000 troops and air reinforcements into the south and over the border into Iraq, reportedly killing over 270 militants.
The earthquake caused the worst harm in the town of Ercis, some 56 miles north of Van. Thousands of buildings were damaged. Observers say the situation could have been much worse if the quake had hit midweek, when students were in classes, or after-hours when most people stay indoors.
The area is home to neglected Armenian ruins, which are in dire need of maintenance and repair. Measuring the harm to those historical sites may never come. Perhaps the exception is Akhtamar island’s 10th-century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, which suffered a cracked dome. Experts were waiting for the aftershocks to end before conducting an overall assessment of the damage to the recently renovated church, which serves as a museum.
Soon after news of the earthquake hit, government officials were quick to accuse the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) of failing to respond to the crisis. The pro-government newspaper, Today’s Zaman, also ran stories alleging that the BDP used discriminatory methods in distributing aid.
On-air and online racist remarks towards those affected by the quake have angered many. The comments criticize the predominantly Kurdish survivors for expecting aid from the very authorities the PKK is waging a battle against. Reports emerged of “aid” packages being sent containing sticks, stones, and Turkish flags.
All this came while a wave of arrests swept Istanbul on Oct. 28. Authorities raided BDP offices and arrested dozens of Kurdish and human rights activist.
Perhaps unaware of these reports, Gul highlighted the “unshakable fraternity” of the nation during the “golden jubilee” of Hurriyet Daily News. “Our citizens in the province of Van hit by the earthquake will see that they are not lonely. We are a nation that binds together in rainy days. We are friends in foul weather. This demonstrates that the fraternity among our nation is unshakable!” Gul said, as reported on the presidential website.
Nanore Barsoumian
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This is good neighbourly and godly act on the part of Armenia.
Hope this will help melt the ice further between the two neighbours.
Armenia did a noble and humane thing by offering a hand to Turkey… Now, will Turkey mature and extend the same noble and humane hand to Armenia by accepting her wrongs?? I HIGHLY DOUBT it…
the criminal government of turkey tries ,to never accept the crimes committed by talat, enver nesim, and the other pashas in there past criminal empire, we, the armenians are talking humanity to inhumane criminal government of turkey,as long as turkey does not accept the guilt of the armenian genocide ,happiness will never visit turkey.
i see on the turkish tv channel the help which is being send as a help to the needy, is being sold with money,this is how honest is, the criminal turkish government, in how is helping his own people,i fill sorry for the turkish people for the sufferings from there criminal government.
Despite the purely humanitarian nature of this tragedy, it does tend to expose the divisions in Turkish society. Armenia must stand tall and offer these poor victims help… even if their government is slow to accept it. We must lead with our Christian values to these people in their time of need. I am happy to see the ROA and our church take definitive steps of support.