by Byron Adonis Mutingwende – SPIKED MEDIA (Zimbabwe)

In response to the earthquake disaster, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)’s Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, who is in Ankara, came together with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on 9 February 2023.

Following the meeting, a joint press conference was held. Emphasizing that the devastation and suffering are above all considerations, Ertuğruloğlu said, “We are also doing our best to contribute to the efforts for dealing with the disaster. We will continue to do so.”

Minister Ertuğruloğlu added: “There is no you and us here and as the Turkish nation, we stand together as one.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu, for his part, noted that the earthquake centred in Kahramanmaraş caused the greatest disaster in its history, adding “The TRNC has never left us alone in the face of disaster.”

Stating that the TRNC, which declared seven days of national mourning because of the earthquake, showed its solidarity with Türkiye, Çavuşoğlu said, “Türkiye and the TRNC are united in pain and joy; we thanked all TRNC authorities and people for their support during these difficult times.”