At the directives of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister (Retno Marsudi) given on the day the earthquake occurred, the Indonesian Embassy Team had already visited the four most affected areas on the following day, before any other foreign represeJakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Search and Rescue (INASAR) Team arrived in Adana, Turkiye, on Sunday at 9:50 a.m. local time (GMT+3), to assist in the evacuation of earthquake victims still trapped in the ruins.
"The INASAR team was welcomed by two officers at the Adana Airport Reception and Departure (RDC) Post. After receiving instructions from the (Indonesian) ambassador at Aksoy Hotel, Adana, the team left for Hatay," the National Search and Rescue Agency's (Basarnas') Spokesperson Anjar Sulistyono noted in a statement received here on Sunday.
Sulistyono remarked that the INASAR team, comprising 47 personnel of Basarnas, departed from Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport, Jakarta, on Saturday (February 11, 2023).
On the occasion, the Indonesian government also sent the first batch of humanitarian assistance for the quake victims in Turkiye, including five tons of logistical aid, such as food, footwear, raincoats, and blankets.
The Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Bakanl (AFAD), or the Turkish government’s disaster mitigation agency, had urged the INASAR team to conduct a humanitarian mission and post-disaster relief operation in Antakya City, Hatay Province.
Indonesian Ambassador to Türkiye Lalu Muhamad Iqbal conveyed this information to the team after coordinating with the AFAD.
The ambassador stated that in addition to evacuating Indonesian citizens, his side had conducted a field assessment to identify areas most affected by the 7.8M earthquake that struck Kahramanmara Province, Turkiye, in the morning of February 6, 2023, local time.
His side also conducted the assessment to map areas that possibly become the target of Indonesia’s humanitarian mission.
"At the directives of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister (Retno Marsudi) given on the day the earthquake occurred, the Indonesian Embassy Team had already visited the four most affected areas on the following day, before any other foreign representatives went to these areas," Iqbal stated.
Indonesia also plans to send 105 emergency medical team personnel as well as medicines and field hospital equipment to Turkiye on February 13, 2023.
The Indonesian government will also provide similar assistance to the people in Syria that are also affected by the 7.8M earthquake.
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Translator: Devi Ramadhan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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