Israeli Earthquake Aid Arrives in Turkey

ISTANBUL As the death toll in the deadly earthquake in eastern Turkey rose on Thursday, an Israeli cargo plane landed in Ankara, carrying humanitarian aid that Turkish officials at first had declined to accept.The Disaster Crisis Center said 523 people were known to have died in Sunday’s devastating quake and that rescuers had been able to extract 185 survivors from the rubble. A number of prefab houses were offered by Tel Aviv almost immediately after the quake on Sunday, and accepted by Ankara in face of growing need for further supplies late Tuesday. The Israeli plane carried seven prefabricated houses and other supplies, NTV television reported said. The plane was redirected to Ankara because the airport near Van, the hardest-hit area, was too small. 

Eight other countries were expected to deliver mobile homes and blankets during the day, news reports said. The Foreign Ministry emphasized Turkey’s appreciation for the Israeli assistance but reiterated that humanitarian gestures during a natural would not affect strained relations. Turkey is demanding an official Israeli apology and compensation for the relatives of eight Turks and an American citizen of Turkish descent who were killed when Israeli commandos intercepted a Turkish aid flotilla attempting to break the blockade of Gaza last year. As desperation grew in the affected areas, TV news reports on Wednesday showed chaotic scenes of people grabbing supplies from relief trucks, and an official with the Turkish Red Crescent put the number of trucks that had been ransacked at 17, the Anatolian Agency reported. 

 More than 50 countries offered assistance almost immediately after the earthquake; the government initially declined the offers, saying it had sufficient resources. But as the needs for tents and other supplies have become more clear, the government has begun reaching out for foreign aid. Also on Wednesday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his government would crack down on the poor construction that has been blamed for the scope of the disaster, saying the government would more strictly enforce building laws and demolish especially weak buildings.