Quarrel between journalist and Interior Ministry: Where were the soldiers after the earthquake?

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Deputy Interior Minister İsmail Çataklı responded to the claim by journalist İsmail Saymaz that AFAD, affiliated with his ministry, was very late in requesting help from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in the February 6 earthquakes.

Çataklı posted on his social media account a voice recording in response to Saymaz and wrote, "a response to the slander that came 43 days after the earthquake with a voice recording from the first moments of the earthquake." 

Why were the soldiers late?

It has widely been discussed why the soldiers were late to participate in the rescue efforts in the disastrous earthquakes where the official death toll has as of today reached over 50 thousand and 98. 

Saymaz had written in his column "AFAD (the Disaster and Emergency Presidency) requested help from TSK 36 hours after the earthquake."

In the voice recording Çataklı posted, a call can be heard, made from the AFAD Emergency Center, in the first moments after the first earthquake. The person calling is requesting 7-8 aircraft from someone who he calls "Colonel."

The person is heard saying, "We have to use aircraft in order to send the teams here in İstanbul, İzmir, Ankara, Bursa. Sorry to trouble you but can you work on this? W need 7-8 aircraft."

Saymaz publishes the document

After the deputy minister posted the voice recording on Twitter, Saymaz wrote:

"As one can also understand from the voice recording, AFAD is not requesting rescue teams from the TSK, but aircraft in order to send AFAD teams to the earthquake region. While supposedly refuting me, Çataklı is admitting their negligence."

Saymaz also wrote that he decided to publish the document he mentions in his article.

"Here is the document of request for help made 36 hours after the earthquake," said Saymaz. In the document he shared, it is written that personnel is needed to support the work carried out following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake disaster centered in Pazarcık, Maraş, and that it is requested that a sufficient number of personnel who are experienced/volunteering in rescue works should be assigned for supporting the work being carried out.

The date of the document is coded as February 7, 2023, and the hour is 16.13. (ME/PE)