Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi expressed his deepest condolences and full solidarity with the people of Syria and Turkey and their families, after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the two countries early this morning.

The earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep — about 40 kilometers from the Syrian border, killing over 2000 people. The death toll is expected to rise further, as many buildings have collapsed, trapping victims under the rubble.

Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s readiness to provide aid to Turkey and Syria as they recover from the impact of this earthquake, expressed earlier on Monday in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Egyptian president made this statement of solidarity during a press conference held alongside Croatian President Zoran Milanovich, who is visiting Cairo to discuss bilateral relations.

There are an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 Egyptians currently living in Turkey. To allow Egyptian emigrants to the two countries to call for help, Egypt’s embassies in Damascus and Ankara have both launched emergency hotlines.

The Egyptian Embassy in Ankara can be reached at this number: 00905497695566

The Egyptian Embassy in Damascus can be reached at this number: 00963112144886 – 00963112144885

The earthquake, whose epicenter was in Southern Turkey, was felt as far as Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, Jordan, Iraq, Romania, Israel, and Egypt.