Date Added: 01 March 2023

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel has said that the deadly earthquakes which struck Türkiye last month had led to great grief and sorrow in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

He also said that there was no cause for panic but that it was important to be prepared for a powerful earthquake that could hit Cyprus.

The premier held a press conference on Wednesday to inform the public on the latest developments and the government’s work on preparing for an earthquake.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel reassured the public that the TRNC government will pursue the investigations launched in Türkiye over the deaths of 49 TRNC citizens in last month’s deadly earthquakes.

“Let no one have any doubts, we will do all we can to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of our citizens,” he said, adding that a legal monitoring team had been created at the prime ministry to follow up on the criminal proceedings currently underway in Türkiye.

He reminded that the contractors and owners of the buildings under which the TRNC citizens perished had been arrested and were now waiting to be tried.

Üstel also praised the TRNC for its swift response to the earthquake in Türkiye, pointing out that over a hundred personnel, equipment and machinery had taken part in rescue and recovery efforts in the southern provinces of the country affected by the quakes.

He also said that dozens of trucks of aid from the TRNC had also reached Türkiye to provide relief to earthquake survivors.

Üstel also said that efforts were underway to reinforce the TRNC’s public infrastructure and disaster response capabilities.

The premier added that there were currently around 1500 earthquake survivors who had arrived in the TRNC to seek refuge with their families.