Turkish teams depart for Venezuela
Following two devastating earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 in Venezuela, search and rescue and humanitarian aid teams from Turkey have mobilized. Under the coordination of Istanbul AFAD Director Prof. Dr. Haluk Özener, the teams departed from Istanbul Atatürk Airport for Venezuela aboard an A-400M military transport aircraft.
Özener, in a statement before the flight, said that coordination was established with relevant institutions after the earthquakes that occurred 39 seconds apart on June 25 in Venezuela's Yaracuy state. He stated that contact was made with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Health, and the General Directorate of Security under the Presidency.
Özener, who conveyed that an A-400M transport aircraft was allocated for the mission following talks with the General Staff, shared details of the team: "Our team includes 37 AFAD personnel from Istanbul, Izmir and Denizli, 6 National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) members, 2 Turkish Red Crescent representatives, 2 search and rescue dogs, and 2 fully equipped search and rescue vehicles."
Özener added that the General Staff also allocated a similar aircraft, and a humanitarian aid brigade consisting of 20 soldiers will be sent to Venezuela on this plane. "We are currently in contact with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our embassy in Venezuela. Additional equipment and personnel support will be provided when necessary," he said.
Also touching on Turkey's humanitarian aid activities worldwide, Özener said that humanitarian operations were carried out in 11 countries this year, including Gaza, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and that this figure was 16 in 2025. "These aids continue constantly. Not only humanitarian aid, but we also provide search and rescue support after disasters and accidents in countries such as Japan, Haiti, El Salvador, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina," he stated.
Emphasizing that according to international humanitarian aid reports, Turkey has been the country providing the most humanitarian aid in the world for many years, Özener stated that many non-governmental organizations and search and rescue units are also awaiting requests and will act as soon as a request comes.
Latest earthquake situation
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced that two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 occurred 39 seconds apart in Venezuela. The first earthquake was recorded 24 kilometers northeast of San Felipe at a depth of 21.9 kilometers, and the second was recorded 23 kilometers southeast of Yumare at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Venezuela Health Minister Carlos Alvarado announced that the death toll from the earthquakes has risen to 235, and the number of injured has exceeded 4,300. Search and rescue efforts continue in the region, and there are concerns that the death and injury toll may rise.
