Press statement by CHP Deputy Chair Ahmet Akın on CHP Disaster Coordination Centre

From the very first minute, we established Disaster Coordination Centre at our Headquarters upon the instruction of our Chair and leader, Mr Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

We put the 312 207 40 65 numbered communication line at the service of our citizens.

We started to work on a 7-24 basis with a large group of volunteers.

Our Youth Branch Chairs, PM members and Women's Branches are making efforts.

We created a 50-line centre.

We received ten thousand calls in about 60 hours.

Within the scope of these calls, we delivered the emergency calls of 17 thousand 110 citizens to AFAD.

On the one hand, we are conducting search and rescue operations, and on the other hand, we are conveying requests for assistance to our municipalities and relevant institutions.

We determine points for immediate intervention.

The most common calls we receive are requests for the rescue of our citizens trapped under the rubble, requests for sound from under the rubble, missing notifications and requests for assistance.

People are calling because they cannot find water. Our citizens are in great distress. So we send all kinds of incoming information to the WhatsApp line we have established with AFAD.

We organise and report them.

Now a friend of mine brought news from Adıyaman. A girl is under the rubble.

Fifty lines are open. While one phone is switched off, the other continues

There is a reality.

We observed that AFAD was insufficient in the first 48 hours.

Most of the notifications came from Hatay and Maraş.

We contacted EPDK (Energy Market Regulatory Authority). As a result, we conveyed the problems at petrol stations.

There are dozens of towns and neighbourhoods where intervention in the wreckage still needs to be done, and there are no teams.

When we look at the data, we see a delay in response, lack of coordination, inadequacy and, unfortunately, great helplessness.

Citizens say, 'I am looking for the state; help me'.

There are very emotional moments here. We were informed that one of our citizens was pulled out from under the rubble. We were pleased about this.

On the one hand, our municipalities started to experience obstacles in entering the disaster areas.

We are communicating to coordinate the aid trucks organised by our municipalities, provincial chairs and organisations.

Some villages have yet to be intervened. It has been 60 hours.

The efforts in Headquarters were great.

Saying that everything is under control is a huge lie.

Recognising the shortcomings here and struggling to save one more life is necessary.

The 17,110 searches we mentioned earlier have increased to 17,700.

Some calls we received stated that construction equipment and cranes were not allowed into the area.