Chinese aid, rescue teams come out in force after quake

Search and rescue teams from many countries are decisively continuing their work in the aftermath of a major earthquake in Turkiye. The 135-member Chinese search and rescue team was greeted with applause and slogans at the airport in Istanbul.

The team, named "Blue Sky", chanted "You Can Make It Turkiye". After arrival, they were immediately transfered to the disaster area.

Mustafa Alt?nkaya, the former President of the Turkish Student Union, was in the field with the Chinese team and stated everyone is working well together in the debris.

After settling in an unharmed high school in Malatya and transferring to the area, Alt?nkaya said a person living in the region greeted the team and said, "We will not forget this kindness." The team, which has identified two living people with thermal vehicles, is working in coordination with AFAD teams and soldiers to free those trapped under the rubble.

Twenty Turkish nationals who speak Chinese participated in activities to support the Chinese team under the coordination of AFAD, Turkish Student Union and the Chinese Embassy in Ankara.

In addition to the teams that have arrived, there are also teams still on the way from China for support. The Turkish Student Union also has translators on hand for them. More than 400 volunteers applied online 2 hours after the need for an interpreter was announced. As a result, the campaign began to spread rapidly on Chinese social media platforms.

Ezgi Kaya, General Secretary of TSU, said: "Not only Turkiye, but the whole world is locked in for the earthquake zone. We are the Turkish nation, we overcome all difficulties when we become one."

The Turkish consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong have started work for in-kind assistance. An announcement was made of addresses where help can be forwarded from the consular accounts, followed immediately by a hail of phone calls. The volume of calls was so high consulate employees could not keep up.

Since the number of Chinese companies and benefactors reached hundreds within minutes, a team of Turkish students and employees was formed to talk with callers.

Mertcan Bircan, president of Turkish Student Union Shanghai and the head of the team contacting the companies, said: "Since we received news of the earthquake, our hearts have been beating with our country and the people affected by the earthquake in the region."