Turkey Honors Qatar’s Search and Rescue Forces for Earthquake Response

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his appreciation for Qatar's help and efforts to the Turkish people during the devastating earthquakes that occurred in February, which resulted in the loss of thousands of lives.

He specifically recognized the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group, which is part of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), for their crucial contributions in conducting search and rescue operations and providing humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the earthquake tragedy.

In a ceremony that took place at the presidential complex in Ankara, Lt. Col. Mubarak Sherida Al Kaabi, who is the Assistant Commander of the Lekhwiya Force for Logistics and Administration, as well as the Commander of the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group, was awarded the Medal of Supreme Sacrifice by the Turkish President.

The ceremony was held to recognize and honor the efforts of the search and rescue team from Qatar for their invaluable assistance during the earthquake disaster and their humanitarian support to the Turkish people.

Several months after the devastating earthquakes that occurred on 6 February and were the worst to hit the region in a century, an award ceremony was held to recognize the efforts of the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group in assisting with search and rescue operations and providing humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the disaster.

The earthquakes caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of people in both Turkey and Syria, and resulting in the loss of nearly 50,000 lives. Many survivors were left homeless and in urgent need of assistance.