Türkiye declares three-month state of emergency in quake-hit provinces

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a state of emergency for three months in 10 southeastern provinces hit by Monday's massive earthquakes.

"Based on the authority given to us by Article 119 of the Constitution, we decided to declare a state of emergency," Erdogan said on Tuesday at the State Information Coordination Center in the capital Ankara.

"We will quickly complete the presidential and parliamentary processes about the state of emergency decision, which will cover 10 provinces where earthquakes have occurred and will last for three months," he added.

Erdogan said that Türkiye is facing one of the biggest disasters not only in the history of the Turkish Republic but also in its geography and the world.

"Our biggest relief is that over 8,000 of our citizens have been rescued from the rubble so far," Erdogan added.

READ MORE: What we know about the massive earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria

Widespread damage 

Erdogan's remarks came after a 7.7 magnitude tremor early Monday struck the Pazarcik district of Kahramanmaras province, then about nine hours later, a 7.6 magnitude quake centred in Kahramanmaras’s Elbistan district rocked the region, affecting several other provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

The earthquake was also felt in several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon.

At least 3,549 people were killed and 22,168 others injured in 10 provinces after two strong earthquakes, according to the president.

READ MORE: In pictures: Türkiye's rescue mission underway in quake-hit regions