In a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent his condolences over the earthquake that shook southern Turkey in the early hours of Monday, and offered Hungary's help.
“Hungary is standing by Turkey at this tragic moment”, PM Orbán said, adding that he learnt about the disaster “with deep shock and sorrow”. PM Orbán expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that a team of fifty Hungarian rescuers, including six doctors, were set to leave for Turkey under arrangements by the disaster management authority later in the day. “Turkey, the Turkish nation is a friend of Hungary and the Hungarian nation. It is natural, that in this disaster we will stand by our Turkish friends and help with whatever we can,” Minister Szijjártó said. He said help will also be sent to Christian communities affected by the earthquake in Syria. Bertalan Havasi, the prime minister’s press chief, said the earthquake that hit southeast Turkey and northern Syria would also be at the top of the agenda of a three-day strategic cabinet meeting that started on the outskirts of Sopron, in western Hungary.