2.316 Turkish Residents Killed in Earthquake, President Erdoğan Announces Seven Days of National Mourning

The impact of the earthquake in Turkey. (Wikimedia Commons/Mahmut Bozarslan/VOA)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning, after a devastating earthquake rocked the country, followed by 145 aftershocks that devastated the country's southeastern provinces.

In a post on Twitter, President Erdoğan said the mourning period would last until Sunday evening, with flags flying at half-mast inside the country and at diplomatic missions around the world.

"In connection with the earthquake that occurred in our country on February 6, 2023, a period of national mourning has been declared for seven days," President Erdogan wrote on Twitter, as quoted on February 7.

"Our flag will be flown at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, 12 February 2023, in all representatives of our country and foreign countries," he continued.

At least 2,316 people died while 13,293 others were injured following the 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş Province, destroying 10 provinces in the southeast of the country, citing Daily Sabah February 7.

The tremors from the earthquake that hit Turkey and neighboring Syria on Monday were felt as far away as Greenland, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland said.

Monday's quake was Turkey's deadliest since a 7.4 magnitude quake in 1999 when more than 17,000 people died, including about 1,000 in Istanbul.

President Erdogan, meanwhile, called the quake a historic disaster and the worst to hit the country since 1939, but said authorities were doing everything they could.

"Everyone put their heart and soul into the effort even though the winter, cold weather and the earthquake that occurred at night made things even more difficult," President Erdogan said.

6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde ülkemizde meydana gelen depremler sebebiyle yedi gün süreyle millî yas ilan edilmiştir. Bütün yurtta ve dış temsilciliklerimizde 12 Şubat 2023 Pazar günü güneşin batışına kadar bayrağımız yarıya çekilecektir. pic.twitter.com/WsXvTpyr6y

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 6, 2023