Egypt’s Sisi Speaks with Erdogan, Assad and Sends Military Planes with Aid

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi spoke with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad on Tuesday 7 February to offer condolences and support after the deadly earthquake, the Egyptian presidency said in an official statement.

According to the Egyptian Presidency, Al-Assad expressed his appreciation to Al-Sisi, and stressed Syria’s pride in the historical and fraternal relations between the two countries.

Al-Sisi’s talk with Al-Assad marks the first-ever phone call between the two leaders since Al-Sisi took office in 2014.

Al-Sisi also reiterated Egypt’s solidarity with Turkey, offering assistance and humanitarian aid to overcome the effects of the devastating disaster.

Under the directives of Al-Sisi, five military planes carrying emergency aid were sent to Turkey and Syria to help alleviate the relief efforts following the earthquake that left more than 5,400 people killed in both countries on Monday, 6 February.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which heavily struck both Turkey and Syria, was felt as far
as Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, Jordan, Iraq, Romania, and Egypt.

“I express my sincere condolences to the people of Syria and Turkey and the families of the victims of this devastating earthquake that struck the Eastern Mediterranean region,” Al-Sisi noted in a press conference held with Croatian President Zoran Milanovich.

Thousands of emergency responders and medical teams have been sent to rescue people under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The international community has pledged its support to the countries affected by the earthquake, with various international groups coordinating on-the ground response teams in the affected regions.