Turkey: 45 countries offering help

The death toll is rising from a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit southeast Turkey and northern Syria early on Monday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said offers for help had been received from some 45 countries in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly earthquake and powerful, still ongoing aftershocks.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said members of the alliance were mobilizing support to help Turkey deal with the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquake.

In a tweet, Stoltenberg said he was in contact with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Several NATO members have already said they are planning to send support to help victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it would donate $200,000 to help Turkey with the rescue efforts and was coordinating with Turkey about sending specialized search and rescue teams. China also said there are no Chinese citizens among the victims. It did not say if it would be sending search and rescue teams.

Russia says it is readying rescue teams to fly to Turkey to help earthquake victims there and in neighboring Syria.

A minister of emergency situations, Aleksandr Kurenkov, said teams of 100 search and rescue personnel are on standby to be sent to Turkey with two Il-76 transport planes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered condolences in telegrams to the leaders of Syria and Turkey and expressed readiness to help.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says a search and rescue team from the Netherlands will travel to the region of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria that was hit by a devastating earthquake.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says authorities are preparing to send aid and assistance to Turkey following the deadly earthquake there. He said Israel was readying to send search and rescue teams and medical aid, after a request from Turkey’s government.

The two countries, once close regional allies, are in the process of mending ties after years of tensions.

Meanwhile, from neighboring Egypt, where the quake was also felt, the head of the Arab League called on the international community to also aid the Syrian people in the aftermath of the quake.

Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, the secretary-general of the pan-Arab organization, wrote on Twitter that international assistance is required to help those impacted by “this humanitarian catastrophe.”

Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry has offered condolences on the loss of life in Turkey and Syria. The neighboring country said it is sending rescue teams to Turkey to assist local authorities there to deal with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.

“Greece is mobilizing its resources and will assist immediately ... (we are) deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake disaster,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote in a tweet. Writing in Turkish, Israeli President Isaac Herzog offered help in a message on Twitter, adding: “The State of Israel is always ready to send aid by any means possible. Our hearts go out to the families and Turkish people who are grieving at this painful time.”

Oktay said close to 2,800 search and rescue teams have been deployed in the disaster-stricken areas. On top of 1,150 teams from the country’s disaster management agency, the gendarmerie, police and military rescue teams were also deployed. More than a 1,000 rescuers attached to volunteer search and rescue groups were also involved in the efforts.

The president of war-torn Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has sent a message of support to Turkey to offer assistance in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday.

Syria’s health officials say the death toll from Monday’s earthquake in government-held areas of the country has risen to 237, with 639 reported injured.

US White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says he has told Turkish officials the United States is ready to provide assistance to help with the earthquake rescue effort.

Syrian officials say at least 99 people have been killed in government-held areas of the country following a powerful earthquake that hit Syria and neighboring Turkey, raising the death toll to 119 in Syria.

Assistant Health Minister Ahmad Dumeira told a state news agency that 200 people were also injured by the quake in the provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.

At least 20 other people were killed in the rebel-held northwest. The quake was centered north of the city of Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey and about 90 kilometers (60 miles) from the Syrian border.