Greek Prime Minister Calls Erdogan to Offer Help to Quake-Hit Turkey

ATHENS (Sputnik) – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend his condolences to the Turkish people over the deadly earthquake and offer help, Mitsotakis’ office said.

Earlier, Mitsotakis took to Twitter to indicate his readiness to help the neighbouring nation in tackling the earthquake’s fallout.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, in turn, wrote on Facebook that he had called his counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to express readiness to “immediately support Turkish authorities in providing all the necessary assistance to those affected”.

The diplomat added that he had contacted the minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chrysohoidis, to arrange for rescue teams to be ready to go to Turkey if necessary.

Emergency teams carry out a search and rescue operation at the site of the earthquake in Elazig, Turkey

The phone calls come against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two countries over Turkey’s oil and gas drilling in the disputed areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey’s Elazig province on Friday evening. According to the latest data, at least 20 people have died as a result, with 1,015 others injured.

Sourse: sputniknews.com