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Nancy Faeser (Ml) and Annalena Baerbock (Mr) inspect relief supplies on board an aircraft
Photo:
Fabian Sommer / dpa
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) arrived in the earthquake area in south-east Turkey on Tuesday.
During the one-day visit to the region around the city of Gaziantep, the two politicians want to get an idea of the situation on the ground and assure Turkey of permanent aid.
Both came "to make it clear to people that our sympathy is not limited to words, and it will not diminish even if the catastrophe and its consequences are supplanted by other headlines in the news," explained Baerbock.
The night before, the earth had trembled again in the disaster area.
The new tremors killed six people and injured around 300, according to the authorities.
Faeser emphasized that the homeless urgently needed winter-proof accommodation.
The Bundeswehr has already brought more than 340 tons of auxiliary materials to Turkey with 20 flights.
The relief supplies provided by the Technical Relief Agency (THW) for Northwest Syria amount to 73 tons, mainly tents, blankets, heaters and generators.
"All of this is also an act of European solidarity and help in times of need." It is now important to react "quickly, unbureaucratically and purposefully".
After arriving in Gaziantep, the ministers continued to Kahramanmaraş, some 90 kilometers north, where one of the epicenters of the February 6 severe earthquake was located.
Baerbock called the extent of the catastrophe with almost 45,000 deaths in Turkey and Syria before departure "almost unbelievable and extremely depressing".
The Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior wanted to find out how they "can do their part to give people prospects again".
Faeser added: "It is heartbreaking for all of us to see the incredible devastation and suffering this earthquake has caused in Turkey and Syria."
talks planned
Talks with German aid organizations and those affected were planned for the afternoon.
So far, more than 10,000 dead have been recovered from the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş.
Baerbock and Faeser also wanted to find out how the federal government's decision can be implemented, according to which victims of the quake should be able to visit their relatives in Germany for a period of time without bureaucracy.
A meeting with Turkish government officials was not planned.
sol/AFP/Reuters