Türkiye will send two military aircraft carrying search and rescue teams and humanitarian aid personnel to Venezuela on Friday after two consecutive earthquakes struck the Yaracuy region, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said.
AFAD said preparations began after reports of the earthquakes, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, the National Defence Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Presidency's Directorate General for Security Affairs.
Following consultations with the Turkish General Staff, an A-400M military transport aircraft was assigned to carry a 38-member AFAD search and rescue and humanitarian aid team from Istanbul, Izmir and Denizli.
The aircraft will also transport a five-member National Medical Rescue Team, a two-member Turkish Red Crescent humanitarian aid team, two search dogs and three fully equipped search and rescue vehicles, AFAD said.
The National Defence Ministry also decided to dispatch a second A-400M military transport aircraft carrying a 22-member Humanitarian Aid Brigade team with its equipment, according to the statement.
Both aircraft are scheduled to depart from Istanbul Ataturk Airport at 11:15 am local time (0815 GMT) on Friday, AFAD said.
It said developments were being monitored in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and the Turkish Embassy in Venezuela.
