ANKARA, Turkiye: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a meeting with President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday.
During the meeting, the prime minister conveyed heartfelt condolences to the Turkish president on behalf of the entire Pakistani nation over the loss of precious lives and the widespread damage caused by the recent devastating earthquake.
In a meeting with my brother H.E. President @RTErdogan, I expressed profound condolences to him on behalf of people & govt of 🇵🇰. I assured him of our steadfast support to 🇹🇷. I am confident that under President’s leadership, Türkiye will emerge from this catastrophe stronger.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) February 16, 2023
Earlier upon his arrival in the Turkish Presidency, President Tayyip Erdogan received the prime minister.
President of Turkiye H.E Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival in Turkish Presidency. Ankara, 16th of February, 2023.#PakistanStandsWithTurkiye pic.twitter.com/vmOLeiwWbm
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) February 16, 2023
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reached Turkiye on an official visit to express solidarity with earthquake victims.
Senior Officials of the Turkish government and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye received him upon his arrival in Ankara.
Shahbaz Sharif is undertaking a two-day visit to Turkiye from February 16-17, 2023 in a special gesture of solidarity and support with the people of Türkiye in the wake of the massive earthquake.
During his visit, the prime minister will also visit earthquake-affected areas in southern Turkiye, and interact with the Pakistani search and rescue teams deployed in the area as well as survivors of the earthquake.
Prior to leaving for Turkiye, Shahbaz Sharif said that “I am leaving for Türkiye with a message of unwavering solidarity and support for our Turkish brothers and sisters from the people and government of Pakistan. True to the spirit of one nation living in two states, we consider their loss as ours.”
“Natural disasters as the earthquake in Türkiye & Syria are beyond the capacity of any single government to handle. No country, howsoever resourceful, can deal with devastation of this magnitude. It is time the world came forward & extended support to the suffering humanity,” he wrote on Twitter.
On February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern and central Turkiye as well as northern and western Syria.
The death toll from the deadly earthquake in Turkiye and Syria has risen to over 41,000.
The Turkish authorities said that 35,418 people have been killed in the Country while according to the Syrian government and the United Nations, more than 5,800 people are dead in Syria.
BREAKING: Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll has passed 41,000
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) February 14, 2023
