Quake Latest: Turkish Army on rescue missions; oil flows begin

(Bloomberg) —

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Turkey began deploying thousands of troops to areas hit by two major earthquakes after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a three-month state of emergency.

Latest quake: Turkey declares state of emergency rule, death toll rises

The death toll in Turkey and neighboring Syria is nearing 8,000, while more than 11,000 buildings were damaged by Monday’s earthquakes, many trapped in freezing temperatures.

Iraq said it has resumed oil flows to the key export terminal Ceyhan after Turkish authorities announced a temporary halt following the first major quake. The Turkish government is overwhelmed by the extent of the damage to infrastructure, the logistical problems and the assistance needed to help the 13.4 million people living in the disaster area. Dozens of countries have offered help so far.

Important Developments

Iraq’s Kurdistan says oil pumping has resumed to Ceyhan: ministry
Turkey orders crude oil flows to resume at Ceyhan terminal
CityLab Daily: The city hardest hit by the earthquake in Turkey
BTC oil port to remain closed until Wednesday after earthquake: port agent
Twin quakes in Turkey kill thousands: Middle East newsletter

(All times Istanbul, GMT +3)

Turkey sends commands to earthquake zone (7:50 a.m.)

The Turkish military has sent thousands of commandos and other units to the earthquake zone from barracks in the west of the country and in Cyprus.

Before the start of the last mobilization period, 7,500 soldiers were already helping with rescue operations, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said late Tuesday.

Turkey death toll nears 6,000 (3:45 am)

Turkey’s vice president said the death toll in the country had risen to 5,894. In Syria, at least 1,832 people have been killed in government- and rebel-controlled areas, according to an AP report.

Scenes of young children, a pregnant woman and other victims still being taken to safety underscore the thousands of people who have been rescued so far.

Main opposition leader blames Erdogan (2:24 a.m.)

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition party CHP, said he would not treat disaster management as something “above politics”, adding that President Erdogan was responsible for the mistakes and “corruption” that compounded the damage.

“I don’t have to be in solidarity with Erdogan and his palace,” Kilicdaroglu said in a video posted to Twitter. Erdogan has held talks with many opposition leaders since the tremors, but has not called Kilicdaroglu.

Iraq’s Kurdistan Says Oil Flows to Resume to Ceyhan (12:44 AM)

Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish government said it resumed crude oil shipments to the port of Ceyhan late Tuesday.

Death toll exceeds 5,000 (9:35 p.m.)

Turkey’s death toll rose to 5,434 with more than 31,000 injured, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

Turkish Ministry of Finance allows companies to declare force majeure (8:11 p.m.)

Turkey’s Ministry of Finance and Treasury extended the deadline for paying taxes and other liabilities to the government for companies in the quake-hit areas to July 31.

Egypt’s Sisi offers Erdogan his condolences and help (18:54)

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi offered Turkey humanitarian aid over the tremors, according to a statement. Turkey and Egypt have recently started to normalize ties after years of strained relations.

Turkish Stocks Enter Bear Market (6:16 PM)

The benchmark Borsa Istanbul 100 index closed 8.6% lower on Tuesday in a broad sell-off, with Turkish Airlines and refiner Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS weighing on the bar. The index, which is the worst-performing major stock market in the world this year, has fallen 20% from its peak on Jan. 2, entering a technical bear market.

The country’s market regulator Tuesday’s lifting of a temporary deposit rule that requires traders to hold stocks in their brokerage account to execute trades likely exacerbated the move, which was the biggest drop since March 2021.

Thousands grapple with devastation in northern Syria (5:51 p.m.)

In northern Syria, an area struggling with death, destruction and displacement from war and conflict for more than a decade, people tried to use limited resources to respond to the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and aftershocks. “This disaster is much bigger than us, we need state intervention,” Ismail Al-Abdullah, co-founder of the White Helmets Emergency Response Force, told Bloomberg.

Mohamed Hamze, spokesman for the Syrian American Medical Society, said there was an urgent need for medical and surgical supplies. He called on global actors to work with Turkey to open all key border crossings between Syria and Turkey to allow relief and rescue equipment, teams and supplies to flow in as soon as possible.

Around 4.4 million people live in north-west Syria. The area is controlled by a mishmash of rebel groups – some of whom are backed by Turkey after several cross-border offensives in recent years.

Erdogan declares a state of emergency (2:53 p.m.)

The Turkish President has declared a three-month state of emergency in ten provinces to deal with the aftermath of the twin earthquakes.

The emergency rule, which has to be approved by Parliament, would allow the government to take extraordinary security and financial measures in the affected areas.

Turkey Orders Resumption of Crude Oil Flow to Ceyhan Terminal (11:20 am)

Turkey has ordered the resumption of oil flows to its Ceyhan export terminal on the Mediterranean, according to an official with direct knowledge of the matter. The state pipeline operator stopped the flow as a precaution Monday morning and ordered it to restart after completing its checks, the official said, adding that the flow will begin shortly.

Iraq hopes to pump oil through Turkey again Tuesday afternoon after security checks revealed no damage.

–With support from Selcan Hacaoglu, Firat Kozok, Beril Akman, Taylan Bilgic, Ugur Yilmaz and Patrick Sykes.