Turkey pledges to support Iraqi people hit by earthquake

Turkey will stand by the people of Iraq who have been through a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Monday.

The prime minister noted that Turkey will fully support the Iraqi people who are going through a difficult time and the country has taken immediate action to send medical aid and food assistance.

"The first aid convoy is currently on its way" Yıldırım said, adding that he hopes the death toll will not increase.

Yıldırım also expressed sympathy with the Iraqi people and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook the region near northern Iraq and Iranian border late Sunday, killing at least 140 people.