Turkish Airlines Evacuates Nearly 266,000 People from Earthquake Zone

Turkish Airlines has evacuated nearly 266,000 people from the earthquake zones in southeastern Turkey, according to the company. "A total of 265,754 people have been evacuated from the earthquake zones in southeastern Turkey. We have sent 143,740 rescue and humanitarian personnel to the region and transported 10,753 tons of humanitarian aid," the statement says.

Turkish Airlines has extended free evacuation flights until March 1.

Turkey's Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar has also stated that more than 10,000 Syrians have returned to their homeland after the earthquakes, refuting claims of a massive influx of refugees into Turkey. "These claims are not true; we have verified the situation on the ground and received information from responsible sources. No one is entering Turkey; on the contrary, Syrian citizens are returning to Syria voluntarily. They are those who lost their families or homes during the earthquakes. After the earthquakes, 10,633 Syrians have returned voluntarily," the minister's words are quoted by Anadolu Agency.

Turkey's migration agency reported in January that there are 3.5 million Syrians living in Turkey, and in 2022, nearly 59,000 people returned to safe areas in Syria.