The Turkish government has declined Israel’s offer of recovery aid following the devastating earthquake at the end of last week.
Following the intense 6.6 – 7.0 earthquake that took place last week, which resulted in significant damage to the west coast of Turkey, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prepared to send personnel to help with recovery.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz took to Twitter after the earthquake, stating, “I instructed the IDF to prepare for emergency assistance to Turkey. The military representatives have already spoken with the Turkish military attaché in the country.”
Gantz also said separately that the “State of Israel and its security forces will always reach out for humanitarian assistance to civilians who are injured no matter where they are, by using the capabilities and experience gained in the IDF over the years to deal with emergencies.”
However, Turkey has now rejected Israel’s offer of emergency aid.
While the epicenter of the earthquake occurred in the Aegean Sea, the bulk of the damage was done in the city of Izmir, known in biblical times as Smyrna. It was here that well over a dozen buildings collapsed and flash-floods occurred, leaving many people trapped in the rubble.
