Mother, Children, Rescued In Rubble Of Greek-Turkey Earthquake

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – A mother and three of her children were pulled out of a building’s rubble in the western Turkish city of Izmir some 23 hours after a powerful earthquake in the Aegean Sea killed dozens of people.

However, the successful rescue operation was overshadowed by news that one of the children succumbed to his injuries later in hospital, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

The child was one of 37 people killed in Friday’s quake: 35 in Turkey and two on the Greek island of Samos, authorities said.

Rescuers were continuing efforts to free the woman’s fourth child, reporters witnesses. The mayor of the Aegean port city said around 180 people remained trapped.

Friday’s powerful earthquake hit Greece and Turkey on Friday, causing buildings to collapse and a sea surge flooded streets in Izmir, a Turkish resort city.

MINI-TSUNAMII

Greek public television said the quake also caused a mini-tsunami on the eastern Aegean Sea island of Samos, damaging buildings.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.0 magnitude quake was registered 14 kilometers (8.6 miles) off the Greek town of Karlovasi on Samos.

Besides those killed, at least 885 people were injured, 15 of them critically, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in televised remarks.

In a show of unity after months of difficult bilateral relations, Greek and Turkish government officials issued mutual messages of solidarity.

Their statements came after Turkey and Greece faced off with warships in the eastern Mediterranean amid a dispute over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights.

ARMED CONFLICT

The ongoing tension led to fears of an armed conflict between the two neighbors and NATO military alliance member states.

However, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his sorrow over the Turkish victims in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “I just called President Erdogan to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both our countries,” he wrote on social networking site Twitter. “Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together.”

Erdogan responded on Twitter, saying: “I offer my condolences to all of Greece on behalf of myself and the Turkish people. Turkey, too, is always ready to help Greece heal its wounds.”

He added that “two neighbors show solidarity in difficult times is more valuable than many things in life.”

Greek solidarity is also welcome news for Erdogan, who faces a standoff with several other European Union nations, including France and the Netherlands.

RECALLING AMBASSADOR

Last Sunday, October 25, France recalled its ambassador to Turkey, after Turkish President Erdogan condemned French President Emmanuel Macron’s response to the beheading of a teacher who had shown students pictures of the prophet Muhammad.

While eulogizing the teacher, Macron said France would not renounce its freedoms. In response, the Turkish leader criticized his French counterpart and suggested Macron

“needed some sort of mental treatment.” He also called for a boycott of French products.

Separately, Erdogan filed a criminal complaint with Turkish authorities against Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders saying that he had insulted him on social media.

Last week, Wilders posted a cartoon picture of Erdogan and captioned it “terrorist”. On Monday he posted an image of a sinking ship with a Turkish flag on it. “Bye-bye @RTErdogan. Kick Turkey out of NATO,” he said under the image on Twitter.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the move against fiercely anti-Islam Wilders unacceptable and said his government would raise the issue with Turkey. “In the Netherlands, we consider freedom of expression as the highest good. And cartoons are part of that, including cartoons of politicians,” Rutte told reporters.

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