The Republic of Cyprus expressed its readiness to help rescue efforts after the devastating earthquake in Turkey, however, the Turkish side did not accept this the aid offered.

The Director General of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kornelios Korneliou, told the Cyprus News Agency that “we conveyed this readiness both through the European Civil Protection Mechanism and through the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Menelaus Menelaou”, however, the provision of any assistance was not accepted by the Turkish side.

Korneliou explained that through the European Civil Protection Mechanism each EU member state can express its readiness to provide assistance in cases of such disasters as earthquakes. “We, after consultation with the Civil Defence, expressed readiness to help with a rescue team consisting of 21 people, and last night they answered us ‘no thanks'”, he said.

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