İstanbul Earthquake: First Statements by Mayor, President

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İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has spoken to a TV channel on today's (September 26) earthquake.

Saying that there has been no destruction other than collapsed mosque minarets in districts of Avcılar and Sarıyer, İmamoğlu remarked, "Earthquake is the reality of nature and İstanbul. At least there was no destruction in İstanbul. It was an important day of warning. We spoke to our district administrators one on one. Silivri, Beylikdüzü, Büyükçekmece, Bakırköy... Along the coastline, we don't have a problem of destruction and losses of lives in those districts."

He is following the developments at the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM), the mayor said, adding that they have established a crisis desk.

"We are evaluating notices by our citizens and problems found by our team members. We are alerted in İstanbul. There is no problem right now.

"We determined hundreds of new earthquake assembly areas. On the other hand, we checked our disaster readiness program.

"The prayers of all of us is, 'Dear God, don't make us experience this great earthquake.' Other than that, what we are going to is to intervene in actual incidents. Thankfully, we didn't experience a loss of life for our city."

Erdoğan: Aftershocks will continue

President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken to journalists after after his plane landed on Atatürk Airport in İstanbul, returning from the UN summit in New York.

"Twenty-eight aftershocks have been recorded as of now. Despite this earthquake which can be considered pretty serious, we have not received a report that tears our hearts out.

"There aftershocks will continue. The Disaster and Emergency Management Center [AFAD] has become operational under the chairpersonship of our Vice President Fuat Oktay.

"In times like these, many people make statements. These kind of statements shouldn't confuse or surprise anyone. There tens of thousands of assembly areas declared by the AFAD in İstanbul. These are published on AFAD's website." (EMK/VK)