The powerful message that “Greece will help Turkish society, the Turkish people, and the Turkish and Syrian citizens to the extent possible, and all the people who were tested, to the extent possible,” Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias re-broadcasted a day after visiting the areas of Turkey that have suffered catastrophic damage from the recent earthquakes, in Antioch. In an interview on the main news bulletin of the Star television station, Nikos Dendias underlined that Greece will continue to help Turkey bilaterally with whatever possibilities it has, but also in the context of its own participation in the EU and in the context of EU Civil Protection. “It goes without saying that our Turkish people, as well as our Syrian people to the extent that we can, will have our full support,” he noted, and clarified that Greece will try to help cover the enormous needs arising from the adequate work that the Turkish government has done in this regard.

He made special mention of the work and the help of the Greek rescue forces who arrived in the early hours in the earthquake-affected areas of Turkey, saying characteristically: “I felt enormous pride, because my compatriots, the EMAK that went there to help from the first day he was able to save human lives under the ruins. Overall, the European rescuers they rescued over 200 people – 205 is the number I had in mind until yesterday afternoon, it may have increased by one or two today as we speak. A portion of these people were rescued from Greek hands and I am extremely proud of that. Also, because I want to be honest, there is also a more hidden contribution, of the three dogs of EMAK who could and did find people under the ruins.”

Asked to answer what yesterday’s hug with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and the Turkish media’s hymns about Greece mean for Greek-Turkish relations, Nikos Dendias keeps the human element. “I think it’s too early for anything else. I will keep the human element and the ability of people from both countries and from both societies to feel very close,” he said. He hastened to underline that the fact that it took the pain of a disaster for this to happen is perhaps a sign that no matter how serious the differences may be between any countries in this world, human pain is something much greater than they. In fact, he estimated that “our ability to overcome our differences is always present, although and as long as we have a sense of human smallness in the face of natural disaster”.

In the remark of journalist Maras Zacharea that “the ice broke” between Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Erdogan, the Foreign Minister found that at the level climate at the moment there is another reality. “I will not make any comparison with the past, I have no reason to compare, neither publications, nor behaviors in relation to the past. This is a tragedy,” he added.

Outlining the feeling he got from yesterday’s visit to the areas of Turkey that have suffered catastrophic damage from the recent earthquakes, the Foreign Minister spoke of immense tragedy, unspeakable destruction and sorrow. “The city, the particular one that I visited, Hatay, because it is not the only city that has been affected, it has suffered a crushing blow. Not only that most of the buildings have either fallen, or tilted, or have massive damagebut also the entire infrastructure network, the airport, the roads, the electricity network, the gas network, everything has suffered enormous damage,” he described.

Regarding the living situation and the survivors in the affected areas, he said that it is extremely difficult, because the temperature at night drops too much. “It’s an area that has sub-zero temperatures at night. They need huge help, winter tents asap. A very large number. The calculation is that 65,000 tents are needed. They need containers and the ability to house the most sensitive and vulnerable part of the population. There are no more hospital beds in the area, mobile hospitals have to be moved. There is a huge need to support our fellow human beings in this region of the world,” he said. In fact, he hastened to note that what he says also applies to Syria. With the additional difficulty, as he added, “that in Syria we have a government with which we cannot talk”.

Citing the Turkish counterpart of Mevlut Cavusoglu, said there have been 1,600 aftershocks, one was above 6 Richter. He noted that unless the aftershocks stop, there is no chance of convincing people to stay anywhere in the region.

As for the next day, he suggested the need to restore the confidence of the residents. “The people, the few residents I’ve come in contact with, are scared. Terrified, in tears, they have mourned the loss of their own people. Their ability to live in this space is currently being questioned. The queue of cars leaving the area is huge. Even Adana, a city that is quite far away and the damage it has suffered is not that significant, it is almost a ghost town. It has been abandoned by its tens of thousands of inhabitants,” he explained.

Referring to the role of the Greek mass media, he noted that perhaps it would make sense to have a concerted pan-Hellenic effort to achieve a goal that shows the solidarity of the Greeks towards our fellow Turks. “Perhaps an online platform” he suggested, and underlined the need for Greek society as a whole, in addition to the government, agencies, NGOs, to show support to our fellow human beings across the Aegean, who are currently in enormous difficulty.

Finally, to a question about a possible change in the date of the Turkish elections, N. Dendias pointed out that he does not think that the Turkish Constitution allows for postponement. “Certainly there will be some difficulties in the affected areas for the Turkish society to express its opinion. But the Turkish elections, I think, will be held on time” he further assessed.

Katsaniotis to the Turkish ambassador: Immediate mobilization and strong interest in providing aid to Turkey

In the meantime, Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Katsaniotis had a telephone conversation with the new ambassador of Turkey to Greece Tsagatai Ertsiyes. During the conversation, Andreas Katsaniotis expressed his deepest sorrow for the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and conveyed to the Turkish ambassador the condolences of the Greek government and the Greek people for the loss of human life.

Also, as announced in an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andr. Katsaniotis reiterated Greece’s readiness to immediately assist Turkey in every way and informed Mr. Ertsiyes in detail about all the actions that have been taken to date to coordinate the organization, gathering and sending of humanitarian material to the neighbor.

He made a special mention in immediate mobilization and the strong interest in providing assistance from a multitude of organizations and individuals throughout the country, is noted in the same announcement.

For his part, the Turkish ambassador thanked the deputy minister for the support and provision of humanitarian aid from our country, it is still known.