On February 10, 2023, Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, visited the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey. He, together with the representatives of the Service, paid respects to the memory of those who died amid the tragedy of the devastating earthquake in Turkey, expressed his condolences to Mr. Ali Kaan Orbay, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Georgia, and made a record in the condolence book:

“We offer our deepest condolences to the Republic of Turkey, our great friend and unwavering and heart-felt supporter of the last decades, and to its citizens over this tragedy. Our hearts are being fill with blood when we witness the tragedy. Be strong and God bless you! We are always by your side!”

On February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southeastern part of Turkey, near the Syrian border. The epicenter was near the city of Gaziantep. The quakes started at 04:17 local time. The earthquake caused significant destruction in 10 cities of Turkey. Thousands of people are trapped in the ruins. According to the latest information, the number of victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has exceeded 21,000. Rescuers from different countries, including Georgia, are still trying to pull out survivors from the ruins.

By the decision of Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, a team of fully equipped professional Georgian rescuers was sent to Turkey within a few hours after the tragedy. Georgia allocated 1 million GEL for the victims affected by the devastating earthquake in Turkey. Today, essential goods and household items will be sent from Georgia for the victims of the earthquake.