ANKARA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that it was impossible to get prepared for a calamity like the earthquakes that struck the country on Monday and left more than 9,000 people dead, but he vowed to exert utmost efforts to save citizens' lives.
"There are deficiencies ... It is impossible to be prepared for such a major disaster," Erdogan told reporters in the southern province of Hatay, which was hit hard by the earthquakes. (Türkiye-Earthquakes-Preparation)
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ANKARA -- Türkiye is working to open two more border gates with Syria to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid to its neighbor which also suffers from massive earthquakes, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.
"Cilvegozu border gate is open. We are working to open two more gates ... We also provide the necessary support for the aid to reach Syria," Cavusoglu told reporters at a joint news conference attended by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.(Türkiye-Syria-Earthquakes-Border Gates)
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ALGIERS -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Wednesday ordered the immediate recall of Algerian Ambassador to France Said Moussi for consultation, according to a statement from the president's office.
The recall comes to protest "the secret and illegal evacuation of an Algerian citizen, who was wanted by the Algerian justice, from the country's soil," the statement noted. (Algeria-Ambassador-Recall)
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DUBAI -- A red carpet reception welcomed on Tuesday the first group of Chinese tourists in Abu Dhabi after three years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic as Chinese travel agencies resumed outbound tours.
The tour group, composed of over 60 Chinese tourists, came from the southern city of Guangzhou and arrived at Dubai International Airport on Monday. (UAE-Chinese Tourists-Reception)
