“We are declaring our 10 provinces where the earthquake occurred as disaster areas. We have decided to declare a state of emergency based on the authority given to us by the 119th article of the constitution in order to ensure that the search and rescue activities and subsequent studies can be carried out quickly,” Erdogan said during a televised speech Tuesday.
“With this decision, we will quickly complete the presidential and parliamentary processes,” he added.
The president also stated that the death toll in Turkey had risen to 3,549, and noted that 10 cities would be declared as part of an earthquake disaster zone.
More than 5,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, according to officials.
Severe weather conditions are hampering the efforts to rescue those trapped in the rubble in Turkey and Syria, and are endangering the thousands of people whose homes were damaged by the powerful quake.
Aid from around the world is heading toward Turkey and Syria, as rescuers locate survivors in the debris of collapsed buildings.
