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How the world united to help Türkiye after devastating 2023 earthquakes

A collage of rescue teams, SAR volunteers, and search dogs in Hatay after the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey International search-and-rescue volunteers worked with SAR volunteers in Hatay after the February 6, 2023, earthquakes in Türkiye. (Collage by Mehmet Akbas/Türkiye Today)
By Selin Hacialioglu
Feb 6, 2025 8:58 AM

On Feb. 6, 2023, Türkiye was struck by two devastating earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.8 and 7.5, which affected 11 provinces and resulted in the deaths of 53,537 people.

The disaster triggered an outpouring of international support, with over 90 countries mobilizing rescue teams, humanitarian aid, and financial assistance to help Türkiye in its most challenging moments following the 2023 earthquakes.

Countries worldwide rushed to send search-and-rescue personnel, field hospitals, and essential supplies, demonstrating a remarkable global response to one of the deadliest earthquakes in recent history.

Dutch volunteers and SAR rescue workers pose for a photo before saying goodbye
Turkish SAR, Dutch, and international volunteers gather in front of their base to pose for a photo before saying goodbye following the search and rescue operations for the 2023 earthquakes, Antakya, Türkiye, Feb. 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

Key international efforts in disaster relief following 2023 earthquakes:

  • Search and rescue in the aftermath of 2023 earthquakes:
    • Over 11,488 foreign search-and-rescue personnel from 90 countries joined operations.
    • Azerbaijan was the first to send a team, arriving just hours after the earthquake with 725 personnel.
    • 440 trained search-and-rescue dogs from 54 countries played a crucial role in locating survivors.
    • Teams from the U.S., the U.K., Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan worked alongside Turkish emergency services.
How the world united to help Türkiye after devastating 2023 earthquakes
SAR volunteer holds the Turkish flag amid the rubble in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquakes, Antakya, Türkiye, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)
  • Emergency shelter and medical aid for the victims of 2023 earthquakes:
    • Countries provided 294,743 tents and 12,685 container homes to house displaced families.
    • Pakistan provided 120,000 tents, Jordan 32,124, China 26,312, and Qatar 2,959 tents plus 10,000 containers
    • 28 countries set up 30 field hospitals, including medical teams from Spain, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands and Qatar.
    • The Netherlands also sent specialized disaster response teams.
  • Financial contributions following 2023 earthquakes:
    • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) donated $52 million, while Libya ($50M) and Algeria ($30M) contributed significant aid.
    • The European Union activated its Civil Protection Mechanism, coordinating 38 search-and-rescue and medical teams from 21 EU countries.
    • Albania, Montenegro and Serbia contributed to aid efforts.
    • The World Bank allocated $4 billion for Türkiye’s recovery and rebuilding.
Mexican and Turkish SAR members hold their national flags in front of an AFAD tent during rescue efforts
Mexican volunteers and Turkish SAR Organization president Erdem Veysel Akin hold their national flags in front of an AFAD tent during rescue efforts for the 2023 earthquakes, Antakya, Türkiye, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)
  • Military and logistical support:
    • NATO deployed over 1,400 emergency personnel and coordinated humanitarian aid deliveries.
    • Greece, the U.S., the U.K., and the Netherlands provided transport aircraft, mobile kitchens, and logistical support.
    • Russia sent 401 personnel and 80 tons of humanitarian aid, while China delivered 20 tons of rescue equipment.
  • Additional humanitarian relief provided following 2023 earthquakes:
    • 54 countries sent trained rescue dogs, which played a vital role in search efforts.
    • The aid included millions of blankets, sleeping bags, mobile toilets, hygiene kits, and food packages.
    • South Korea sent 118 search-and-rescue personnel and pledged $5 million in emergency humanitarian aid.
    • 102 countries offered aid, and 88 of them sent personnel or direct assistance to the disaster zone.
Search-and-rescue workers from Turkey and the Netherlands in front of a red SAR tent
SAR volunteer Basak Karasen and Dutch volunteers stand together at their base camp after days of rescue operations, Antakya, Türkiye, Feb. 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

As Türkiye marks the second anniversary of this tragedy, Türkiye Today spoke with Basak Karasen, a volunteer from SAR Search & Rescue and Emergency Aid Organisation, who was directly involved in the rescue efforts as an emergency and disaster interpreter for international rescue volunteer.

In our conversation, Karasen shared her firsthand experiences, the challenges of coordinating with international teams, and how global collaboration shaped Türkiye’s response to the 2023 earthquakes.

A SAR rescue worker in a red uniform and orange beanie sits on a chair in the middle of debris, holding his helmet, with collapsed buildings in the background
A SAR volunteer in Antakya takes a moment to rest amid the destruction left by the 2023 earthquakes, Türkiye, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

What is SAR Search & Rescue and Emergency Aid Organization?

SAR Search & Rescue and Emergency Aid Organization is a Heavy-Level Urban Search and Rescue accredited nongovernmental organization (NGO) that started its activities in 2008 and became an association in 2014.

Based in Izmit, Kocaeli, the organization currently has representations in 10 cities with over 4000 volunteers in Türkiye.

A group of search and rescue workers in red uniforms and protective gear carefully navigate the rubble of a collapsed building in Antakya, Türkiye
SAR teams continue operations late into the night in Antakya, carefully working through the wreckage in hopes of finding survivors trapped beneath the ruins, Türkiye, mid-February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

Question: How did international aid impact the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, and what forms of aid were most crucial?

Basak Karasen: It was a disaster that made history. An earthquake affecting 11 provinces is something that we have never seen before so the immediate international aid doubled us in terms of volunteer search and rescue technicians which critically affected the number of saved lives.

The number of volunteers is of great importance in emergency response. If you don’t have enough people you cannot do much for a long period of time, so the more the better. I cannot pick a form of aid that is more crucial than the other because in Hatay specifically, we needed every form of aid from humanitarian aid helpers to K9 search, from rescue volunteers to people bringing wood to the fires. They were all equally important.

Rescue workers in red and orange gear search through debris at night, illuminated by streetlights in turkey
SAR volunteer Basak Karasen aiding Dutch volunteers during the search through debris at night, illuminated by streetlights, Antakya, Türkiye, Feb. 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)
Search-and-rescue teams, including international responders, work through the night to find survivors ın turkey
SAR and Dutch volunteers work through the night to find survivors following the 2023 earthquakes, Antakya, Türkiye, Feb. 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

Question: Were there any specific forms of international support that you found particularly helpful or impactful on the ground following the 2023 earthquakes?

Basak Karasen: Two specific forms helped us a lot during our rescue operations.

The first of them is the K9 teams: dogs are the best searchers for those stuck under the rubble. Their ability to smell gives the highest rate of precise information about people under the rubble, whether or not there is someone, and if there is whether or not they’re alive.

The second one is audio surveillance: the seismic/acoustic listening device has the ability to detect any living being even if they are under tens of meters of concrete and you need a professional team that is specialized in this field.

Also, the devices are quite expensive and most of the volunteer teams as well as us don’t have this technology. So international teams coming with their own devices made a huge difference in helping to spot the exact location of the wounded people underneath which again helped us to save more lives even if we cannot hear them with our ears.

Dutch and Turkish rescue teams pose in front of airport
Dutch and Turkish search-and-rescue volunteers gather with their trained dogs outside Hatay Airport for a photo before saying goodbye, Türkiye, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

Question: Can you discuss any significant collaborations between Türkiye and foreign organizations or governments?

Basak Karasen: We had a chance to meet amazing people from all over the world with this very unfortunate incident but we took it as a chance to strengthen our collaborations and ties between countries.

We are currently official partners with the Dutch K9 search and rescue team Stichting Reddingshonden RHWW which you can see in the pictures with orange uniforms. It was an emotional experience to see people who do not speak our language and who have never even been in our country before being so eager to help our people.

We worked with several international organizations and volunteer teams from Hungary, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and the Netherlands.

Turkish and Mexican search-and-rescue volunteers pose with exchanged team shirts inside a rescue camp
Members of the Mexican and Turkish search and rescue teams exchange shirts in solidarity after joint rescue efforts for the devastating 2023 earthquakes, Antakya, Türkiye, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

I was the emergency and disaster interpreter in Hatay and working with all these people in a disaster zone in my country really encouraged me to have faith in humanity and motivated all of us to keep going.

Of course, we as SAR had a good capacity to respond but knowing that foreigners were there for us in those hard times just helped us to keep pushing beyond what we thought were our limits.

After we finished our operations in Hatay for the 2023 earthquakes, we decided to have an official partnership with Reddingshonden RHWW ensuring that we will be there for each other if any disasters ever happen again in each other’s country. Also, we will collaborate if we ever participate in an international search and rescue operation in a third country.

A Dutch and Turkish search-and-rescue worker discuss their approach while wearing protective helmets
SAR volunteer Basak Karasen translates to Dutch rescue team in the disaster zone, Antakya, Türkiye, Feb. 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)
A search-and-rescue worker sits on a chair in front of rubble, holding his helmet with a somber expression
A SAR volunteer speaks with Dutch rescue volunteer in the earthquake zone, exhaustion visible after days of relentless search efforts, Antakya, Türkiye, Feb. 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

Question: How did the community react to international aid efforts following the 2023 earthquakes, and what messages would you want to share with those who provided support?

Basak Karasen: We asked the same question to our international friends. We asked them “How did the community react to you on the field?” And the answers didn’t disappoint us at all because we all know the hospitality of Turkish people.

People were mostly very generous and helpful not only to our international friends but also to us. They tried to offer us the little food that they had, gave us some warm tea, and always checked up on us to see if we were motivated or if we needed anything else so that we could do what we were good at doing.

Volunteers and emergency workers gather in front of search and rescue base, showing the strength of teamwork in turkey
SAR volunteers and citizens who came to the earthquake zone in order to help out in any way possible after the 2023 earthquakes gathered in front of their base, Antakya, Türkiye, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

I cannot give specific names or mention specific organizations to give a message because everybody in Antakya, all the volunteers coming from all over Türkiye and all over Europe and all over Asia … They all deserve a big thank you.

I want to thank every single person who participated somehow in the disaster zone who wanted to make things better in their way, and not only for us! But I think that this disaster reminded the whole world of something and it is that when we leave our differences aside and just focus on sharing core human values we are not different at all.

Dutch volunteer Claire van der Werff-Ozmay and Turkish SAR member coordinate their strategy during nighttime rescue operation
The emotional farewell between SAR volunteer Basak Karasen and Dutch volunteer Claire van der Werff-Ozmay after working tirelessly in Türkiye’s earthquake-hit zones, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

Question: Finally, can you share any examples of how international aid was coordinated with local efforts in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquakes, and what was the experience like from your side?

Basak Karasen: There are of course hundreds of lessons to be taken from the tragic and painful experience of the 2023 earthquakes and one of them was the coordination of international teams.

We know that several international search and rescue teams had to wait for at least three to four days at different airports. Some of them struggled with the bureaucratic and diplomatic procedures which took too long and delayed their arrival to the disaster zone.

Time is the most crucial thing in emergency response as every second is valuable to reach the maximum number of people alive. Also, as this earthquake was way more destructive than anyone could’ve imagined, there were struggles to arrange interpreters for the international teams or to deploy them in coordination with Turkish volunteers.

A warm embrace between international SAR members after days of intense earthquake relief efforts
SAR Organization president Erdem Veysel Akin and team leader of SRO Netherlands Louise Smits-Jansen embrace after days of tireless search-and-rescue efforts following the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye, February 2023. (Courtesy of SAR)

The teams we worked with as SAR Search and Rescue for the 2023 earthquakes had also been through these struggles. So, the message I would love to give to all international search and rescue organizations is that we should collaborate and train together before any disasters happen.

Having a local partner before the emergency happens will surely give both teams more time to build their coordination, have a plan and speed up bureaucratic procedures.

Right now, as SAR Search and Rescue an emergency aid organization, we are happy to have RHWW as our official partners. I would love to thank the Turkish Consulate General in Amsterdam for hosting the official signing of the agreement! This will surely give us a faster reaction time in the future, which hopefully we will not need.

I would love to finish with our organization slogan, “We are stronger together!”

Last Updated:  Feb 6, 2025 1:30 PM