The Technical Relief Agency (THW) and the aid organization ISAR Germany are interrupting their rescue work in the earthquake area in Turkey due to safety concerns.
According to various information, the security situation in the Hatay region has changed in the past few hours, the organizations said on Saturday.
Search and rescue teams remained at the joint base camp in the city of Kirikhan for the time being.
Bonn/Duisburg - If there is a concrete indication that someone can be saved alive, they will still drive out, THW spokeswoman Katharina Garrecht told the German Press Agency on site.
THW and ISAR further stated: "The reason for this seems to be, among other things, the shortage of food and the difficult water supply in the earthquake area."
ISAR head of operations Steven Bayer said: "It can be seen that the sadness is slowly giving way to anger." Tamara Schwarz, spokeswoman for the THW headquarters in Bonn, spoke of "tumultuous scenes".
The protection of the volunteers is now a priority.
However, the teams stayed put.
Soldiers from a disaster relief unit of the Austrian military had previously stopped their rescue work in Hatay province.
“There is increasing aggression between groups in Turkey.
Shots are said to have been fired," said Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Kugelweis from the Austrian Armed Forces of the APA news agency.
However, the Austrian rescuers also remain on site and are available for further operations.
dpa
