The United Kingdom is deploying emergency response teams to Turkey to support ongoing rescue efforts in the wake of the recent earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5, along with subsequent aftershocks.

A team of highly skilled experts will be deployed to the affected region in Turkey to offer assistance on the ground.

A flight, scheduled to depart from the UK at 4 PM, is expected to arrive in Gaziantep at around 9 PM local time.

The United Kingdom is responding to the request for support from the Turkish government and will be providing assistance through its International Search and Rescue team. This team is equipped with specialised search equipment, including seismic listening devices, concrete cutting and breaking equipment, and propping and shoring tools.

In northwest Syria, the UK-aid funded organisation, the White Helmets, have activated their search and rescue response and mobilized all available resources to meet emerging needs.

The British government remains in contact with British humanitarian workers in the affected areas and stands ready to provide support to any British nationals who may be impacted.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

“The UK is sending immediate support to Türkiye including a team of 76 search and rescue specialists, equipment and rescue dogs. In Syria, the UK-funded White Helmets have mobilised their resources to respond. We stand ready to provide further support as needed.”

More on this as it develops.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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43 COMMENTS

  1. Great that we have this and on standby well done to those who help. Where would they fly to Ankara or somewhere closer? Do they bring their own (light) vehicles?

      • The UKISAR team is made up of 15 UK Fire & Rescue Services. Each service contributes equipment and personnel. All responders are volunteers and are not paid either for deployments or standby.

      • These will be our own search and rescue specialists volunteering to support. The UK search and rescue service is quite complex and based around the search and rescue framework. The SARUK framework is paralleled structure to the civil contingencies. It has a crossover with international law as it covers air, Sea and inland. It covers three government departments MOD, DfT and cabinet office. With lots of organisations..police, fire and rescue, ambulance, HM coast guard and a load of volunteer organisations RNLI, and a ton of inland SAR Teams overseen by Mountain rescue England and wales, mountain rescue committee Scotland, British cave rescue association and association of lowland search and rescue..these are all charities and volunteer groups. Not government funded I. Total there are around 130 SAR groups in the UK all manned by volunteers….we can spare a few of these as it’s not only showing the world how good we as friends, it’s great practice for these groups as mass casualty events are very rare in the UK thank goodness.

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    • No, the UK International Search & Rescue (UKISAR) team deploy with 15-20 tonnes of equipment and at least 4 search canines, but no vehicles. They will work closely with the Local Emergency Management Authority (LEMA) in Country in terms of supporting local and international Urban Search & Rescue Teams on the ground.

    • White helmets. The Syrian Govt would be slightly less welcoming to RAF aircraft landing on it’s territory than the Turks.

      • Not to mention British citizens coming as volunteers into turkey would be welcomed by the whole population and safe ( well the role is a bit unsafe). HMG could never confirm the safety of British nationals in Syria, infact they would be at active risk of being killed by some of the individuals they had come to help. Sad world really, when some people actively target humanitarian efforts and people dedicated to saving lives.

  3. This is a horrible tragedy, and one for us to come together to help our fellow humans in Turkey, Syria and any other affected areas.

    I know there is a lot of anger towards Turkey withholding their OK for Sweden’s NATO entry, but let us remember that that action is performed by Erdogan, while this earthquake is affecting everyone.

    Let not our anger towards Erdogan colour our response towards everyone in Turkey who are suffering.

      • Not here, the crowd is thankfully more mature. But elsewhere on other defence forums, there were some people opining that aid should be linked to Turkey’s OK for Sweden’s vote. Fortunately, even there, the majority put down such commenters.

        BTW, interesting comment above about the UK SAR framework. Why not ask George Allison if you can do a guest article about this for UKDJ?

        • Meanwhile Russian social media… there are a load of people there actively gloating at the death a destruction. Yes, the Russian state has offered to send help, but the environment they’ve nurtured amongst their population is vitriolic to say the least.

          Maybe this will reaction will help wake Turkey up to who their real friends are.*

          *Of course, and it shouldn’t need to be said, it would be better if that happened without this disaster and tragedy.

    • Ironically Turkey has requested NATO assistance, this is being handled by the Disaster Response Coordination Centre at NATO HQ in Brussels.

          • No that I want to be fair to Erdogan or Turkey’s position in general however playing devils advocate they kind of have a point. Swedens been quite happy to be a neutral right through the Cold War and largely enjoyed a free ride of the back of NATO security guarantees in Europe. At the same time it’s taken it’s own “moral position” including putting Turkey under sanctions. Now the rules of the game have changed it desperately wants in to NATO but it’s been pretty hostile to a key NATO member for quite some time. It’s not surprising Erdogan is putting the boot in especially given Turkeys ascension to the EU has been effectively black balled. Would Sweden through all its objections to Turkey joining the EU if the shoes on the other foot?

            Sweden has also been a key objector to the EU having a security framework which is probably desperately regretting just now as only the UK is currently guaranteeing its security.

          • So after being neutral during the Cold War, Sweden finally sees the error of its ways. Good, the more in NATO the stronger it is. And we don’t want another Ukraine situation arising, which remains a possibility while Finland and Sweden are outside NATO.
            As for Swedens moral position. Well the whole of the EU, U.K., and USA have recognised the Armenian Genocide, a fact Erdogan and Turkey still deny. There are accusations that even today Turkey is destroying historic Christian sites in the east of the country. Then in Syria it undermined the efforts of the West to defeat both IS and Assad’s regime by attacking the Kurdish rebels in Syria; rebels the West was backing.
            Not to forget that Erdogan has shown himself to be an unreliable partner by constantly playing off NATO against Putin – the S400 acquisition being his best known gaff. But more disturbing is his gradual push, moving Turkey from a secular democratic state towards something far sinister. His creeping Islamification has long been a concern and his increasing dictatorial nature are why the EU have gone cold on Turkey joining, and I can hardly blame them.

            It’s a good thing, now that we have left the EU, that there’s still countries like Sweden (and Denmark) that object to the EU ‘s plans for an EU Army, etc. As recognised by the USA a long time ago, such a move would weaken NATO, not strengthen it.

            The EU’s Mutual Defence Clause — Article 42.7 in the Treaty of Lisbon — states that “if an EU country is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other EU countries have an obligation to aid and assist it by all means in their power”. Unlike Denmark, Sweden did not negotiate an opt out and the Swedish Defence Bill of 2009 committed Sweden to come to the military aid of an EU member, ending its non-alignment.

            While Sweden is a member of the U.K. JDEF, it’s also a member of France’s EII, and Germany’s FNC.

          • Good points, but as the UK is finding out post Brexit when it comes to getting things from other countries even “friendly” countries can be quite brutal.

            If your Turkey and your extending something like an article 5 guarantee to another country it may well stick in your your throat that this country has you under sanctions and harbours what you deem to be terrorists.

            As I said I don’t agree with it and I would take Sweden in NATO at the cost of kicking Turkey out any day. Indeed I would probably kick Turkey out anyway given their transgressions.

            What they bring in terms of strategic location and basing is far outweighed by their willingness to work with our enemies.

          • International negotiations are like all contracts, you have to give and take. If you go for a zero-sum game then you’re not going to get very far. Even the EU appears to be realising that with its overly zealous enforcement of checks on goods to NI.

            I think Edogan is using Sweden as a patsy for ‘tough guy standing up to foreigners’ ahead of this years presidential election. If Turkey was playing smart, it would allow Sweden in, and next time Kurdish terrorists launched an attack invoke Article V (as the US did after 9/11). That would put pressure in Sweden to hand-over anyone who is actually involved – rather than just political opponents.

            Yes I’d kick out Turkey too, or at least suspend it until the rule of law and democracy are shown to be free from presidential interference.
            But then I’d also let any established democracy, with separation of powers, between executive, legislature, and judiciary join NATO; eg Japan, Australian, NZ, etc, etc. But obviously the NATO charter currently blocks that…

  4. The best of humanity coming out in the worst of circumstances. Good to see UK and others offering rapid assistance and helping hands. Truly shocking seeing all those buildings collapsing on the spot and with people inside! Enough to make your feel some compassion even for your enemies and all the ordinary people that suffer the hardest. 🇦🇺 🇬🇧 🇹🇷 🌎 🌍

  5. There’s quite a few local takeaways I noticed today that have started to organise donations, asking in particular for baby food/nappies, warmth items and dried foods. So if people want to help get into contact with there local.

  6. Said it before. Use some of the Foriegn Aid budget to pay for equipment and people that can be duel use.
    Instead of flogging off all the Hercules, move them across to the Aid budget and have them painted white for use to diasters. Useful for less developed areas in distress. Build a new helicopter carrier/amphib.
    Contributes to both soft and hard power.

  7. I saw a photo of a poor man holding the hand of his dead daughter with her body still under the collasped house. I can’t even comprehend his hurt.

  9. Thanks for all of this information. Does anyone know why search and rescue teams aren’t paid by the governments / institutions that deploy them? Is it because it creates ethical issues?

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