The statement said: "Early this morning, a massive earthquake struck the North of Kurdistan (Turkey) and Rojava/North and East Syria, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe.This earthquake, with a reported magnitude of 7.8, had its epicenter near Meres and Dîlok not far from the Syrian border, and has caused hundreds of deaths, destroyed thousands of buildings, and rendered countless people homeless. With thousands still trapped under rubble, it is expected that the number of victims will unfortunately increase many times over."
The statement added: "The effects of this devastating earthquake are compounded by pervasive corruption that has been institutionalized during two decades of rule by Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Appointments to ministries, including the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, and other government bodies are determined by nepotism and loyalty to Erdogan and the AKP rather than merit, and construction projects, long touted by the Turkish state as symbolic of its success, are assigned to companies with close relations to the AKP."
The statement continued: "It is well known that Turkey and Kurdistan are located precariously near major geologic fault lines, putting the region at risk of major earthquakes. A deadly earthquake of similar magnitude struck South and East Kurdistan (Iraq and Iran) in November 2017, and areas within Turkey in August 1999. Nonetheless, sufficient measures to address this well-established risk have not been taken despite the presence of urban areas of increasing population density and two of Turkey’s major dams, located in Riha and Elazîz, throughout North Kurdistan."
The statement said: "Areas throughout North Kurdistan and Turkey have been devastated, with many buildings toppled in Amed (tr. Diyarbakir), 300km away from the epicenter, and this earthquake has also affected predominantly Arab-populated areas of Hatay in Turkey.
South of Turkey, Rojava/North and East Syria, a region already affected by the Turkish state’s ongoing campaigns of aggression and occupation, has experienced great loss. With hundreds of thousands within Syria displaced by Turkish military aggression, this horrible earthquake in the dead of winter will deepen the humanitarian crisis affecting the peoples of the region, including Kurds, Arabs, Christians, and others."
The Kurdistan National Congress "shares the pain of all who have experienced a loss as a result of this tragedy and sends its condolences, and wishes all the wounded a speedy recovery.
We know from experience that the Erdogan regime will address this natural disaster in a cynical way and with strong anti-Kurdish bias, and we ask all who can to heed the call of the Kurdish Red Moon (Heyva Sor a Kurdistanê), who operate on the ground in Kurdistan, and help as much as possible to aid those affected by this tragedy and keep them from also falling victim to the political calculations of the Erdogan regime."
Reporter's code: 50101