Iran to stand by Turkey in difficult situation

He made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, on Monday night.

Iranian foreign minister offered condolence to the Turkish government and people over the deadly earthquake which resulted in the death and injury of thousands of people.

He also wished speedy recovery for those injured in the earthquake.

Amir-Abdollahian also announced the readiness of the Iranian Red Crescent Society to fully cooperate with Turkey in line with the Iranian President’s order.

He said rescue and medical teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society had been dispatched to Turkey late on Monday to provide assistance to the people in quake-hit regions.

“We stand by the Turkish nation and government in this difficult situation,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

Cavusoglu, for his part, thanked Iran’s sympathy and support for the Turkish people and appreciated Iran’s readiness to offer aid to the people in quake-hit areas.

Earlier on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian made a phone call to his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad to sympathize with Syrians over the deadly earthquake and offer to provide humanitarian aid to the victims.

A massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Kahramanmaras Province, central Turkey, at 01:17 GMT on Monday. The quake was followed by dozens of aftershocks, with the strongest one having a magnitude of 6.6.

Dozens of buildings have collapsed across Turkey, and the death toll continues to go up as rescue workers search for survivors. The massive earthquake also caused multiple buildings to collapse in Syria, leading to multiple deaths.

MNA/IRN85021892