ANKARA 

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz offered his condolences Monday to the thousands of people affected by a powerful storm and floods in eastern Libya.

"Türkiye stands with the Libyan people,” Yılmaz said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“I convey my condolences to those affected by the flood disaster in #Libya. May God have mercy on those who lost their lives, and (I) wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” he said.

He also emphasized Türkiye's support for the Libyan people in these "difficult" times.

Storm Daniel swept several areas of eastern Libya on Sunday, most notably the cities of Benghazi, Al Bayda and Al-Marj, as well as Soussa and Derna, according to an Anadolu reporter in the field.

The death toll from floods in Derna has risen above 2,000, while thousands of people are believed to be missing.

Earlier Monday, the head of Libya’s Tripoli-based unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, declared all areas exposed to the storm and floods “disaster zones.”

Dbeibeh also announced three days of national mourning for the flood victims.

Libyan authorities have also already declared a state of emergency, which included suspending classes at all public and private educational institutions and closing shops.

*Writing by Necva Tastan in Istanbul