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Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez expressed gratitude Thursday to 31 countries, including Türkiye, that have sent rescue teams and humanitarian assistance following twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24, leaving more than 2,000 people dead.
"The joint response from 31 countries, alongside Venezuelan rescue groups, has shown us that we are not alone," Rodriguez wrote on X. Venezuela, she added, "will remember this solidarity forever."
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez confirmed Wednesday that the confirmed death toll has risen to 2,295, making it one of the deadliest seismic events in the country's modern history.
Among the nations contributing to relief efforts, Türkiye has mounted one of the more substantial bilateral responses.
The Turkish National Defense Ministry said two Air Force A400M military transport aircraft delivered search-and-rescue personnel to Venezuela shortly after the disaster, including teams from the Turkish Armed Forces Humanitarian Aid Brigade and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, known as AFAD.
Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu confirmed Thursday that the country's National Medical Rescue Team and fully equipped emergency response units had been dispatched to the Yaracuy region, one of the hardest-hit areas.
"I extend my wishes for a speedy recovery to the people and the state of Venezuela," Memisoglu said.
National Defense Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk said Turkish teams are continuing search-and-rescue operations in the earthquake zone, extending condolences to families of the victims and wishing the injured swift recoveries.
According to the ministry, personnel and rescue dogs are conducting round-the-clock operations in challenging conditions to locate survivors still trapped beneath rubble.
Türkiye's current mission in Venezuela comprises 75 personnel, five search-and-rescue vehicles, and six rescue dogs.
"The helping hand of the Turkish nation bridges distances, reaching wherever it is needed," the ministry said in a statement.
Beyond search-and-rescue activities, Türkiye's state development and cooperation agency TIKA delivered approximately 1,000 aid packages to earthquake-affected communities, extending the country's contribution beyond emergency response into direct civilian relief.
Venezuela sits along active tectonic fault lines and has experienced significant seismic activity historically, though large-scale international disaster response of this scope is relatively rare for the country. AFAD, Türkiye's primary disaster coordination body, has in recent years built a reputation for rapid international deployment following major disasters, drawing on experience from large-scale earthquakes within Türkiye itself.
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