The government of South Sudan has expressed sympathy to the Turkish people in the wake of the devastating earthquake that rocked south -eastern parts of the country and neighboring Syria.
Mayik Ayii Deng, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the transitional government is standing in solidarity with the people of Turkiye.
“It is with deep and overwhelming sorrow that I learnt of this devastating effect of the earthquake. On behalf of the government and the people of South Sudan, I convey my deepest sympathy to the Republic of Turkiye for the lives lost during this natural disaster,” Deng said in a statement dated February 6th 2023 issued in Juba.
Deng said the Republic of South Sudan holds dear the friendly relation with Turkiye.
“We choose to stand with you through the good and the bad, and in this instance we stand in solidarity with people of Turkiye,” he said.
“Excellency, I hope your government and the Turkish people can take courage through this difficult time and stand closely together while you mourn the loss of innocent lives,” added Deng.
More than 11,000 people have been killed and thousands injured by a huge earthquake which struck south-eastern Turkiye, near the Syrian border, in the early hours of Monday morning.
The earthquake, which hit near the town of Gaziantep, was closely followed by numerous aftershocks -including one quake which was almost as large as the first.
