Azerbaijan’s helping hand to Turkey after the disaster

The image of Server Beşirli and his car full of aid became a symbol of the solidarity between Azerbaijan and Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake. Photo: Twitter

Azerbaijan, a country with a longstanding history of strong fraternal relations with Turkey, showed unwavering support for its neighbour in such challenging times. As soon as news of the earthquake broke, Azerbaijan sent a rescue team of 420 personnel to Kahramanmaraş, followed by another 227 personnel from Baku’s ministry of emergency situations to assist in the search and rescue operations.

Azerbaijan’s rapid response was unsurprising given the close ties between the two countries and many years of cooperation. Deep historical roots and common national values have connected these two countries, with mutual cooperation and support in many spheres, including security and defence. During the Second Karabakh War of 2020, for example, Turkey supported Azerbaijan by providing military equipment, including Bayraktar drones. Turkey also played a significant role in the post-war period and opened a military centre in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that is used to monitor the delicate ceasefire with Armenia.

First to arrive

The international response to the Turkish disaster was impressive. According to the Turkish governmental disaster management agency operating under the interior ministry, around 11,302 personnel from 90 countries were deployed to help with the earthquake rescue efforts. Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, stated that offers of assistance came from 102 countries and 16 international organisations. Search and rescue teams from across the globe flocked to the region to assist in the recovery operations.

The Azerbaijani search and rescue and medical teams were the first of the international teams to arrive and begin operations with 867 personnel. According to Turkish sources, Azerbaijani personnel rescued 53 people alive and retrieved around 1,000 bodies in the Kahramanmaraş and Hatay regions. The teams carried out their search and rescue operations in tandem with Turkish coordinators in the hope of rescuing people trapped under the collapsed buildings. Among the international teams, the teams from Azerbaijan were not only the first there, but also the last ones to leave the earthquake-hit region. 

One team of 236 people from the Azerbaijani search and rescue and medical groups were sent to the affected city of Adana. It turned out that one of the Azerbaijani workers, Aliev Nur, broke his leg as a result of concrete falling during the rescue operations and remains in the earthquake zone. The governor of the city, Süleyman Elban, shared his appreciation for the wounded soldier and said, “He is a hero just like his other brothers who rushed to help. Heroism does not only happen in war and the rescuers showed a great example of heroism during a time of disasters.”

The aftermath of the catastrophe saw an outpouring of aid and support from countries around the world, with aid campaigns initiated after the earthquake. Two key Turkish agencies received donations from Turkish and international donors. These are the NGO called AHBAP, which is managed by Turkish musician and activist Haluk Yüksel, and the public organisations AFAD and Kızılay. On February 15th, the Turkey – One Heart social aid campaign organised a joint broadcast on 213 television channels and 562 radio stations for earthquake victims affected by the disaster. Azerbaijan state television participated in this aid campaign organised in Turkey by streaming it live. When the broadcast was completed, around 5.6 billion euros were collected cooperatively including more than nine million SMS donations. The Turkish interior ministry stated that over 13 million euros was provided to Turkey by public institutions, private companies and individuals from Azerbaijan alone. In addition, Baku provided 6,872 tents, four field kitchens, 899 generators, 12,790 heating devices and countless medicines, food and clothing. The humanitarian aid was delivered to Turkey by planes and by railway.

Two mobile field hospitals provided by the Azerbaijani emergency ministry to support the Turkish response continue to operate to this day in the Kahramanmaraş district, which was severely affected by the earthquake. Approximately 2,000 people were provided with high-level medical care and treated in the mobile field hospitals.

Individual initiative

The humanitarian aid from Azerbaijan was largely collected by the citizens from all over the country who donated different goods for the victims of the earthquake, including food, sleeping bags, generators and clothes. In some cases, individual Azerbaijani responses were very touching. One symbol of the country’s response which went viral on social media was the picture of an old red car, burdened by the weight of almost a dozen mattresses on top and almost bursting with humanitarian aid. The boot of the car could not be closed due to the amount of goods. The driver flew a Turkish flag pinned on top of one of the mattresses as a sign of solidarity.

This picture demonstrates the power of individual initiative. Even people with limited resources did what they could to contribute even a small share to the overall donations. The driver of the car, Server Bashirli, was later identified and interviewed. “We know the feeling of being homeless in the winter,” he said.

The donation campaigns in Azerbaijan continue through different governmental and non-governmental organisations. The Union of Azerbaijani Writers, a public organisation made up of Azerbaijani writers and poets, organised a charity event titled “One fist, one heart, one soul” at the International Mugham Centre on March 4th 2023. Many Azerbaijani intellectuals, authors and poets participated in the event and contributed their works. Donations were collected for the people who suffered from the terrible earthquake.

As news of the earthquake in Turkey spread, the Azerbaijani embassy in Ankara also worked to ensure citizens in Turkey were provided for. A hotline for Azerbaijanis living in the affected regions was set up and within a day, the embassy had started evacuating affected Azerbaijanis and their relatives. Hundreds of Azerbaijani citizens and their families were sent to Azerbaijan via Georgia with the help of embassy employees and military attaches.

However, despite efforts not everyone could be saved. Four Azerbaijani students studying in Malatya were reported missing after the earthquake. Their names were shared across social media platforms and their families and friends naturally hoped for a miracle to happen. The Azerbaijani embassy conducted investigations and searched hospitals for any sign of the missing students. Days went by and the search continued, but they were not found among the rescued or the dead.

As operations continued for days, Chinese rescue workers worked tirelessly to find them. Sadly, their bodies were found a week later on February 14th. The students had tried to escape during the earthquake. It was a heart-breaking loss for their families and a tragic reminder of the power of nature.

Debt of brotherhood?

Amidst the tragedy, volunteers from Azerbaijan joined the search and rescue teams. Agha Mehdiyev was one such volunteer who travelled to the Kahramanmaraş and Hatay regions to help in any way he could. He captured various moments of the operations by Azerbaijani rescuers and filmed the people they rescued. As the days passed, more and more Azerbaijanis joined the efforts to help their Turkish neighbours. They knew the pain of losing everything and being left homeless during the cold winter days. But they also knew the power of resilience and hope, as well as sharing a friend’s grief.

 Some Azerbaijanis view their material and non-material support to Turkey as a “debt of brotherhood”. However, this phrase itself does not reflect the real motivation behind Azerbaijan’s helping hand. The prominent Azerbaijani novelist and politician Nariman Narimanov, in his 1921 letter addressed to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, wrote that “a brother does not lend to a brother, a brother always holds his brother’s hand … we will hold each other’s hand at all times and under any circumstances. What we are doing today is an act that is inherent to brotherhood.”

The earthquake in Turkey was a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of coming together in times of crisis. It was a test of human will and determination, and the people of Azerbaijan stood by their friends in need. During and after the earthquake, Azerbaijanis did everything they could to show their sincere friendship. They showed compassion, courage and strength, and in doing so, proved that even in the darkest of times there is always hope. Hopefully, with the support of Azerbaijan and all other individuals and institutions from around the globe, Turkey will be able to heal its wounds in the nearest future.

Arzu Bunyad is a graduate of Hacettepe University’s department of International Relations in Turkey. She is also an editorial assistant at New Eastern Europe. 

Azerbaijan, earthquake, humanitarian assistance, turkey