“I would like to come for joy, but we are here now”, was the first statement of Nikos Dendias as soon as he arrived at the civil protection center in Antioch – Lucky that you exist, said an emotional man of the Turkish rescue forces to the EMAK men
I am very happy to have welcomed Nikos Dendias (“I am very happy to have him here”), said the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to SKAI’s correspondent in Turkey, Manoli Kostidiupon his arrival together with the Greek foreign minister at the civil protection center in Antioch.
“I would like to come for joys, not for such matters, but we are here now,” was his first statement Nikos Dendias just arrived at the civil protection center.
The two ministers will make statements to the press shortly.
Turkish rescuer to EMAK: Fortunately you exist
Shortly before the visit of the two foreign ministers to places where buildings have collapsed, there was an emotional meeting between Turkish rescuers and EMAK forces in Antioch.
A Turkish rescuer thanked the Greek forces for the help they offered from the first moment saying:
“Let the Greeks, our brothers, know that if – god forbid – something happens, we will be the first to rush. Only with mutual support can something like this be dealt with. Fortunately you exist” he said.
The Greek Foreign Minister arrived at Adana airport shortly after 9 am.
He was there to be welcomed by his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, with whom Nikos Dendias had a warm embrace and a one-on-one meeting of about half an hour followed.
I am visiting Turkey today, where accompanied by my Turkish counterpart, @MevlutCavusoglu, I will meet with the members of the Hellenic Relief Mission, which is operating in the areas that have suffered catastrophic damage from the recent earthquakes. https://t.co/gaMUavbZ0j pic.twitter.com/MYm7AHzHrC
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) February 12, 2023
The two foreign ministers then traveled by helicopter to Antioch.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias arrives in Turkey’s southern Adana province after powerful earthquakes struck the region, welcomed by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
🔴 LIVE updates here: https://t.co/rjJzOvo2mE pic.twitter.com/UiAbu9uZ92
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) February 12, 2023
In Adana, they are informed by the people in charge of the civil protection center, where all the humanitarian aid is gathered, about the situation in the area and then they will visit parts of the city where buildings have collapsed.
Dendia’s visit to Turkey announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs early Sunday morning and as Manolis Kostidis reported earlier from Turkey, the details of the trip were arranged between Athens and Ankara on Saturday night.
12.02 | The Foreign Minister @NikosDendias is visiting Turkey today. The Minister will be accompanied by his Turkish counterpart, M.Çavuşoğlu, throughout his visit
Announcement ⤵️ https://t.co/yChfLBuHBw pic.twitter.com/AVYJxNoPzU
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@GreeceMFA) February 12, 2023
Nikos Dendias is the first European Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit Turkey after the deadly Egelados strike and the second in general – the first was yesterday the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan – thus showing the practical support of Greece in the most difficult time of the neighboring country.
The Foreign Minister, who will be accompanied by Mevlut Cavusoglu throughout his visit, will meet with the members of the Hellenic Aid Mission, which operates in the areas that have suffered catastrophic damage from the recent earthquakes.
In the context of the visit to Dendia, ways of further assistance by Greece in dealing with the devastating consequences of the earthquakes will also be examined.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has instructed our Permanent Representation in Geneva to take action to provide emergency humanitarian aid through OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) to Turkey and Syria.
In addition, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andreas Katsaniotis, has taken over the coordination of organizations and individuals who wish to assist in the collection of humanitarian aid for the affected areas in Turkey and Syria.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
