Erdoğan inspects search and rescue efforts in earthquake-hit Gaziantep

A three-month state of emergency to speed up rescue and aid efforts in Türkiye's quake-hit provinces will enter into force later on Thursday, the nation's president said. 'The state of emergency will be in effect following today's vote in parliament,' President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said while inspecting search and rescue efforts in the southern Gaziantep province, where the deadly earthquakes hit. Erdoğan said that more than 14,000 people were killed and nearly 64,000 others injured when two earthquakes-centered in the Kahramanmaraş province-on Monday jolted southern Türkiye, affecting more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, also including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Şanliurfa. He said more than 6,400 buildings had been destroyed and that Turkey aimed to build new three and four-storey buildings in the region within one year. To speed up search and rescue operations, Türkiye on Tuesday announced a three-month state of emergency in the quake-hit provinces. Erdoğan said the state of emergency will give an opportunity to foil moneylenders and seditious groups who try to exploit the aftermath of the quake disaster. 'Our state has been in the field with all its institutions starting from the moment of the earthquakes,' he added. The president also pledged to rebuild the region as part of a one-year plan. Later, he will visit the Osmaniye and Kilis provinces to meet with earthquake victims. On Wednesday, Erdoğan inspected ongoing search and rescue work, as well as relief efforts in the Adana, Hatay, and Kahramanmaraş provinces, in addition to one of the quake epicenters Pazarcik, where he met survivors in tent cities.