Relief efforts and support are rapidly mobilizing for Turkey after the deadly earthquake that struck the country and Syria early Monday morning. The quake, measuring magnitude 7.8, is the worst to hit Turkey in over a century. As of the time of writing, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking in Hatay province near the epicenter, said the confirmed death toll in Turkey had risen to 9,057, according to Reuters. Syrian officials and a rescue group in rebel‑held north‑west Syria reported that the death toll there had reached 2,662, bringing the combined total to 11,719. Scores are injured, and many remain trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Among the victims was Turkish goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, while former Newcastle winger Christian Atsu is still missing after the earthquake. Retired Nigerian footballers Austin Okocha and Mikel Obi have also sent goodwill messages to the victims. On his Instagram page, former Chelsea midfielder Mikel, who played in Turkey toward the end of his career, wrote: “My heart breaks seeing videos of the earthquake in Turkey yesterday. I am sending my sincere condolences to the people who have lost their loved ones to this very unfortunate incident. May God grant you all the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.” Okocha added, “My thoughts and prayers are with the entire people of Turkey. My deepest condolence to the families that have lost their loved ones.”
Comments are closed for this story.