Vietnamese military rescue team completes mission in Turkey, arrives home

Welcoming the team back at the Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien acknowledged the performance of the team in the disaster relief efforts, and affirmed that the mission was a noble international duty, which contributed to strengthening the Vietnam-Turkey cooperation. 

Chien also expressed his wish that Turkey would soon complete its post-quake reconstruction and stabilise the lives of people in the affected areas.

Deputy Ambassador of Turkey to Vietnam Devletsah Yayan thanked the VPA for sending personnel to assist in overcoming the consequences of the earthquake. He affirmed that Turkish people will always appreciate and remember the support. 

The VPA's search and rescue team, taking along 35 tonnes of cargo, departed for Turkey on February 12 night. Immediately after arriving in Istanbul, the team moved to Hatay, one of the hardest hit provinces by the earthquake, to join the search for victims by local and international forces.

Maj. Gen. Pham Van Ty, Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Committee for Incident and Disaster Response, Search and Rescue and Deputy Director of the VPA's Department of Search and Rescue, reported that despite numerous difficulties, the team had fulfilled their assigned tasks with the support of local people, Turkish authorities and the Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey.