The Indonesian Embassy In Ankara Has Sent Another Evacuation Team, The Indonesian Ambassador: This Is A Hazardous Assignment, But The State Must Be Present

The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara evacuated Indonesian citizens. (Source: Indonesian Embassy in Turkey)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara again sent an evacuation team to the location affected by the Turkish earthquake, after previously successfully evacuating 123 Indonesian citizens, to ensure that no Indonesian citizens were not saved, even though the process was not easy.

Today, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara sent a second evacuation team to the location affected by the earthquake, after a request for evacuation from 12 Indonesian citizens.

"We have received a new request for evacuation from 12 Indonesian citizens from areas directly affected by the earthquake. It is not impossible that during the trip there will be new requests that come in because there are still aftershocks," said Eric Gokasi Nababan, Head of the Second Phase Evacuation Team who is also the Indonesian Embassy's Trade Attach. Ankara, in a statement from the embassy on Friday, February 10.

"We hope this is the final evacuation. No one should leave behind," he added.

The evacuation team will travel a long way from Ankara to Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Hatay, Gaziantep for three days to comb Indonesian citizens who need evacuation to Ankara. The team departed from Ankara on Friday at 04.00 a.m. today local time.

"I am aware that this assignment is dangerous because the snowstorms and aftershocks are still ongoing. But our Indonesian citizens need help and the state must attend," said Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu M. Iqbal.

"Hopefully armed with the experience of the Phase I Evacuation Team, the journey of the assigned friends will be smoother," he continued.

It is known, there are about 500 Indonesian citizens in 10 main earthquake locations in Turkey. 123 people have been evacuated. One person cannot be contacted and his whereabouts are not yet known, while the rest have found a safe place in family or friends so they have not requested evacuation.

Meanwhile, the Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha added that the process faced by the team would not be easy, in the midst of winter weather, to road access to crowded earthquakes with various kinds of vehicles, including heavy equipment.

"The second task of the team is to ensure that no of our citizens are not saved there," Judha explained.