Erdoğan wishes swift recovery for quake victims

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday wished a speedy recovery to the victims of an earthquake that shook the western province of Izmir.

“Thanks to God that there was no death,” Erdoğan said during an iftar, or fast-breaking, dinner meeting with Turkish artists at the Tarabya Presidential Campus in Istanbul.

“There was material damage, it’s recoverable. But I would like to remind that we should be prepared all the while regarding this issue,” he said.

The magnitude-6.2 quake struck the Karaburun district at 3.28 p.m. local time (1228GMT) at a depth of 22.98 kilometers (14 miles), according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

Erdoğan also wished a fast recovery for neighboring Greece that also felt the tremor.

One death was reported on the Greek island of Lesbos but no fatalities have been recorded in Turkey.

Suha Ozden, vice rector at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University and Faculty of Engineering Geology Department professor, warned about the possibility of aftershocks.

"As it is the nature of every earthquake, we can experience aftershocks that can range between 4.9 and 5.2 magnitude in the upcoming days," Ozden said.

"The earthquake we experienced today was a principal earthquake. The aftereffects will definitely not be over 6.2 magnitude," he added.

A magnitude-5.1 quake hit western Manisa provincelast month but no causalities were reported in that incident.

Greece was also reportedly affected by an earthquake that struck Monday between Lesbos and the island of Chios.

One woman had been trapped was found dead in the village of Virsa, according to the mayor, as landslides in southern Lesbos blocked roads and damaged old buildings.

At least 12 people suffered minor injured in Virsa, according to the Greek Civil Protection.

http://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/erdogan-wishes-swift-recovery-for-quake-victims-2717462