Ministry Of Foreign Affairs: One Indonesian Migrant Workers In Locations Affected By Turkish Earthquakes Can't Be Contacted

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara continues to make contact with Indonesian citizens (WNI) at locations affected by the 7.8 SR earthquake that rocked Turkey on Monday.

Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha said the Indonesian Embassy team Ankara continued to try to establish contact with one Indonesian citizen who could not be contacted.

"One mother and two child who were previously unable to be contacted, can be contacted after previously the communication tool was damaged," Judha said in a statement to reporters, Friday, February 10.

"One of our migrant workers has been successfully contacted. Until now, we still have one more migrant worker who has not been contacted," continued Judha.

Previously, two Indonesian citizens who were migrant workers in Diyarbakir were reportedly unable to be contacted by the evacuation team, when the Indonesian Embassy Ankara succeeded in evacuating 123 Indonesian citizens from the four most earthquake-affected points.

Judha further said that today the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara sent another evacuation team,

"It's not easy, because of winter weather, and also road access to crowded locations with various kinds of vehicles, including heavy equipment," Judha said.

"The second task of the team is to ensure that no of our citizens are not helped there, and we also provide logistical assistance," he said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara said that the second team would also evacuate Indonesian citizens in locations affected by the earthquake. It is known, there are 500 Indonesian citizens in 10 provinces affected by the Turkish earthquake.

The evacuation team will travel a long way from Ankara to Dyarbakir, 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.

"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 Indonesian Embassy in Ankara.

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

It is known, since the first day of the earthquake, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara has activated the hotline and prepared a special link for Indonesian citizens who need logistical assistance.