Turkey/Syria earthquakes: three-month state of emergency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency in the southeast of the country, after two quakes struck the region yesterday.

He said that the 10 cities in the earthquake disaster zone will be subject to this state of emergency. Erdogan also confirmed that the death toll in Turkey alone was more than 3,500. It has been reported that more than 1,600 people have died in Syria, taking the total number to over 5,000 so far.

However, the combined death toll is expected to continue rising, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning it may hit 20,000. The WHO also believe that as many as 23 million Turkish and Syrian people could be affected.

More than 70 countries from around the world have offered help, including the UK, US, Japan and South Korea.

However, extreme weather and freezing conditions are hampering rescue operations and leaving those now homeless vulnerable to the cold.

President Erdogan announced plans to use hotels in Antalya, the popular tourist resort on the southwest coast of Turkey, as emergency shelters for those left homeless by the earthquake.