Legislators approved a bill on Thursday to declare a three-month emergency in Türkiye's 10 earthquake-hit provinces to expedite rescue and aid efforts.
Magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the province of Kahramanmaraş, were felt by 13 million people across 10 areas, including Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.
Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in less than 10 hours.
Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop called on lawmakers to donate at least one month's wage to the country's disaster management agency, adding that he had donated three monthly wages.
More than 115,680 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
A total of 28,044 people were evacuated from quake-hit regions, AFAD said in a statement.
"As of 11.38 a.m. (0838GMT), a total of 28,044 citizens were evacuated from the disaster area, 4,607 by road and railway and 23,437 by air," it said.
It added that evacuees are being placed in accommodation areas and guesthouses designated by provincial governors' offices and AFAD.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday announced the three-month state of emergency to speed up search and rescue efforts in the quake-hit provinces.
At least 16,170 people were killed and 64,194 others injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye earlier this week, Erdoğan said on Thursday.
