Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared a three-month state of emergency in the regions most affected by the earthquake, writes the BBC.
A state of emergency has been declared in 10 Turkish provinces. The president informed that the number of dead has reached 3549 people, and told the television that the declaration of a state of emergency is necessary to ensure that the rescue works in the southeast of the country are carried out quickly. He added that this would facilitate the work of emergency services and help with the provision of financial assistance, but did not provide further details.
More than 1,600 people perished in Syria.
The last time a state of emergency was declared in Turkey in 2016, after a coup attempt. It was canceled two years later.
Rescuers in Turkey are working in rain and snow, trying to pull victims of the earthquake from the ruins. With each passing hour, the chances of finding survivors are shrinking more and more rapidly.
The World Health Organization has warned that the death toll will rise dramatically in the coming days.
In the earthquake-ravaged regions, many have been left homeless and are on the streets, often without adequate warm clothing or the ability to charge their phone. Rescuers have been able to arrive in some places only now, for example, in Maras, which is very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, only a few rescuers are working.
Help is being sent from many countries of the world, but the arrival of rescuers and the delivery of cargo are also hampered, as three airports in Turkey have been significantly damaged by the earthquake.
Read also: Death toll in Turkey rises, rescuers search for survivors