ANKARA

Solidarity with Türkiye after the Feb. 6 earthquakes is “priceless,” the Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) said Wednesday. 

Speaking to Anadolu ahead of Thursday’s extraordinary OTS summit, Kubanychbek Omuraliev said the theme of the summit is "Disaster Emergency Management and Humanitarian Aid," adding countries act with the principle of "Our strength is in our unity."

“In these difficult days, the people and states of the world came to help. These included OTS member states. Country leaders called (Turkish) President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the first day after the earthquakes. Search and rescue teams were sent, and they worked with other teams,” said Omuraliev.

Omuraliev said that many volunteers from OTS member states who are living in Türkiye also went to the earthquake-hit areas and worked as translators.

Emphasizing that the states of the Turkic world together with their peoples and non-governmental organizations are strong, Omuraliev said "support is important in times like these. This was also provided in social media. This support is invaluable."

Noting that the Ankara Statement could be released after the summit, he said the establishment of the Civil Protection Mechanism will also be decided, and this is very important.

Omuraliev said the difficult times will pass and "may the Turkic world and our brothers have comfortable days."

He said although search and rescue teams that went to the region immediately after the earthquakes had returned to their countries, OTS member states continued to provide aid, especially meeting the need for tents and hospitals.