After the presentation of medals to home and overseas groups that helped search and rescue efforts following the highly effective Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye, the EU civil safety mechanism chief mentioned he was honored to be a part of such efforts.
“The international team leaders, they were invited by the Turkish president (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan), and that is a great honor to all of us … It’s a great honor to receive a medal,” Pekka Tiainen, the coordinator of EU help in Türkiye’s earthquake zone, informed Anadolu in an unique interview within the capital Ankara.
Tiainen was a type of Erdoğan gave a presidential medal for distinguished humanitarian service throughout earthquake response and reduction efforts.
At a ceremony on Tuesday, Erdogan mentioned 55,000 folks, who he known as “symbols of the struggle” after the quakes, are being honored, including: “We cannot neglect the monuments of sacrifice like you, who are with us in our most difficult days. It is a requirement of our ancient culture not to leave effort, self-sacrifice, and goodness unrequited … Here we want to pay you our debt of gratitude with this ceremony.”
Over 11,300 personnel from 90 nations got here to Türkiye after the dual quakes, and 60 nations and worldwide organizations despatched almost 250,000 tents to the southern area.
Tiainen mentioned that Türkiye is part of the European Civil Protection mechanism and a collaborating state, including: “So to say Türkiye is a part of the family and to help family members comes without saying. So in a way we did our duty and supported our friends.”
At the time of the catastrophe, he mentioned there have been three coordination groups in Türkiye, in each Ankara and in addition the quake-hit space, together with the southeastern Gaziantep province.
Stressing that the EU’s help continues to be ongoing, Tiainen mentioned: “I can see that the EU also standing very firmly and supporting Türkiye in this emergency.”
Tiainen, who can be a senior specialist on the Finnish Interior Ministry, famous that Finland can be doing its half to help the UN within the quake-hit area.
“We have provided the base of operations, the camps-where UN workers can stay and live and work-office facilities, information/communications facilities, and equipment, and so on so forth. So the work is still ongoing and I think we will keep on working till mid May,” he added.
On his work within the quake-hit area, Tiainen known as it a “really tiring” mission, each bodily and mentally.
“You work 24/7 from early morning till late at night, and for almost three weeks, and there’s no breaks. And as a team leader, you’re worried about your team members all the time. We were spread out over seven different locations, which makes team management and team leading very challenging,” he added.
Tiainen received a heat welcome when received again house after spending three weeks within the area, however he mentioned it took a very long time to recuperate mentally.
When requested if he would come again to the area to go to, Tiainen mentioned proper now he has no plans to however added that he could be very all in favour of once more seeing folks he had met in Türkiye and have become mates.
“It would be very nice but oftentimes this is not happening,” he defined.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
