Tbilisi: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has arrived in Antakia, Hatai Province, Republic of Turkey, where the emergency situations management service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia is carrying out earthquake relief and liquidation measures with rescue services from various countries.
The Head of the Government met with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri, the Head of the State Security Service, Grigol Liluashvili and the Head of the Emergency Situations Management Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Temur Mgebrishvili and heard information about the progress of rescue operations. Irakli Garibashvili thanked the rescuers for their work.
“My main message to the Turkish people was and is that Georgia and Georgian people stand by Turkey and Turkish people. Yesterday I delivered this message and my condolences to President Erdogan, to whom I reaffirmed our support, and expressed our solidarity. This is a terrible tragedy that befell Turkey and our fellow Turkish people. It will be reported that over 40,000 have been confirmed dead already, and over 100,000 injured.Â
Thousands of people are left without apartments, but we had a conversation with Mr Erdogan, he said that according to his task, he has already created the appropriate headquarters, the plan is made, and in about a year, they will build 270,000 apartments, and all these people will be satisfied.
I also want to say that our hero rescuers are on site. We sent same-day rescuers who arrived with their equipment. They were able to save three people. Unfortunately, more than 80 were found dead. I would like to thank our hero rescuers,rescue service,his leadership, Mr Vakhtang, and everyone involved in the rescue operations.Â
I am deeply convinced that with a wise and strong leader like Mr Erdogan, under his leadership, the Turkish people will overcome this ordeal and come out of this problem even stronger,” the prime minister said.
The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey, Fatih Donmez and the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Turkish Parliament, Chagatay Kilic, were also present.
Firefighters of the Emergency Management Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia in Hatai province, Antakia city, in coordination with the Turkish side, have carried out liquidation and rescue measures so far. Rescuers left Georgia for the Republic of Turkey on February 6.
 In the first stage, the rescue team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia was working in the city of Adiamani, and after the rotation, a new task was determined, and the Georgian rescue team moved to Atakia.
The Georgian Rescue Team is equipped with firefighters and rescuers trained for the elimination and rescue measures of earthquake results.
Georgian Rescue Group is in the Republic of Turkey by the decision of the Prime Minister of Georgia.
The head of the government, along with the delegation, visited the Local Center for Coordination of Crisis Situations and Disaster Management of the Republic of Turkey, where they were informed about the aftermath of the earthquake. Suleiman Soylu, Minister of Interior of the Republic of Turkey, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Turkish Parliament, Chaghatai Kilic.