On Tuesday, members of Türkiye's business world pledged to dispatch hundreds of trucks loaded with urgently needed supplies and equipment to assist in the massive relief operation after powerful earthquakes hit the country’s southern regions.
Attempts to reach survivors in Kahramanmaraş, which is considered the quake's epicenter, and the other 10 provinces have been impeded by freezing temperatures and aftershocks, which made the search through unstable structures perilous. The fierce winter has made some roads impassable and slowed the delivery of food and aid.
Companies and associations on Tuesday promised to send construction machinery, prefabricated containers, generators, cranes and lifting appliances. These are considered one of the most urgent needs, given the broad swath of territory hit by Monday’s earthquake and nearly 6,000 buildings confirmed to have collapsed.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said 13 million of the country's 85 million were affected somehow. He said the total number of deaths had passed 3,500, with some 22,000 people injured.
Erdoğan also said emergency measures would be taken to flood the affected areas with humanitarian relief workers and financial aid.
To help speed the efforts, Kalyon Holding, one of Türkiye’s top conglomerates, said it dispatched 82 trucks, 10 cranes, 40 excavators, seven telescopic forklifts, fuel tankers, and mobilized a large group of engineers and other staff to the region.
Real Estate Investment Companies Association (GYODER), said it carried out an inventory study for equipment such as construction machinery, prefabricated containers, and generators it plans to send for use in the devastated towns.
"As GYODER, we are ready for all tasks and support. We want to state that we are on the lookout for any requests, support, and tasks that will reach us from the competent authorities," a statement said.
Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSIAD) also joined the efforts, saying it sent aid to the quake zone.
In a statement, MÜSIAD said it dispatched a large number of vehicles loaded with aid and construction machinery in a coordinated campaign from many provinces, including Ankara, Burdur, Sivas, Uşak, Ordu, Batman, Van, Bursa, Kırıkkale, Denizli and Kocaeli.
A significant contractor, Rönesans Holding, also said it sent more than 100 vehicles and equipment to the region, including cranes, excavators, generators, lighting towers and containers.
Kalyon and Rönesans announced they had opened some of their facilities in the region to the use of residents.
On Tuesday, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) said it was rapidly dispatching dozens of trucks loaded with supplies, primarily ready meals, canned food, sandwiches, bread packages, blankets, coats, hygiene products, generators, lighting materials and breakfast packages.
"I urge the Istanbul business world to stand in solidarity with our people of the region, who were damaged by the earthquake and need help, with all their might," said ITO chair Şekib Avdagiç.
He said a coordination center was set up at the Atatürk Airport for this purpose.
"Our members of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce demonstrate a great example of solidarity and show that they are on the side of the region's people with all their means. We are sending in our 25 trucks of the most needed materials to the earthquake zone in a short time," Avdagiç said.
Ömer Düzgün, head of the Turkish Retailers Federation (TPF), said in coordination with authorities local retailers started shipping emergency supplies to the distribution centers in the regions affected by the earthquake.
"We have started to carry emergency supplies consisting of basic food products, diapers, baby food, gloves, berets, blankets to distribution centers ... Apart from emergency supplies, we have started a cash assistance campaign within ourselves as local chains," Düzgün said.