Armenian Rescuers Saved Lives in Turkey

In the aftermath of the earthquakes that struck southern and central Turkey, many countries around the world sent humanitarian and search-and-rescue teams to assist those affected by the natural disaster. Among these nations was Armenia, a country with which Turkey has had complex relations.

The Mikroskop media published an article highlighting this context, which included pieces from Azerbaijani news outlets that cast doubt on the actions of Armenia and Armenian rescuers. Armenia and Turkey have not had diplomatic relations, and their border has been closed since the early 1990s. For the first time in 30 years, the border was opened to allow humanitarian aid from Armenia.

However, pro-Azerbaijani media outlets hurried to scrutinize Armenia’s actions and question their motives:

• Journalist and political observer A. Hasrat stated that Armenian rescuers would not be interested in saving Turkish lives, and that Turkish law enforcement should closely monitor their work. Nonetheless, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu confirmed that Armenian rescuers had saved lives.
• Baku Xabar reported allegations that Armenians could kill those trapped under rubble.
• Milli Az published false information claiming that two Armenian rescuers had been arrested by Turkish police for stealing jewelry from collapsed buildings. This news was also circulated by other news agencies.

“Although official Baku has not commented on the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia or the aid provided to Armenia, it is evident that the government is dissatisfied with the developments,” the media outlet noted.

It is worth mentioning that the Armenian rescuers who left for Turkey returned to Armenia last night, crossing the border at the Margara Bridge. A group of 27 Armenian rescuers worked for nine days in the earthquake-hit city of Adıyaman, Turkey.