Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the government would take action against those involved in looting and other crimes in the region hit by this week’s devastating earthquakes as the issue of security there came into focus.
“We’ve declared a state of emergency,” he said during a visit to the disaster zone. “It means that, from now on, the people who are involved in looting or kidnapping should know that the state’s firm hand is on their backs,” he said.
On Friday he said there had been looting in some areas. It was not clear what incidents of kidnapping Erdogan was referring to.
The security in the quake zone has come into focus after the Austrian army suspended rescue operations there due to what its spokesperson called “an increasingly difficult security situation”.
Erdogan also said that hundreds of thousands of buildings were uninhabitable across southern Turkey and that authorities would soon start the rebuilding process.
“We’ve planned to rebuild hundreds of thousands buildings,” he said. “We will start taking concrete steps within a few weeks. The death toll in Turkey has risen to over 21,000, he added.
Source: SABC
In other news – Babes Wodumo in tears while performing Mampintsha’s song
Babes Wodumo recently teared up on stage while performing her late husband Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo’s song, Ngeke. A video of her crying was shared on Twitter.
In the video, Babes can be seen wiping away tears while dancing and singing the Big Nuz member’s song Ngeke. Mampintsha died of a stroke on December 24, 2022, at the age of 40. Learn more
