Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Adem SOMYUREK (Northern Metropolitan) (13:03): I rise to express my sorrow for the loss of 47,000 lives – and unfortunately that is continuing to rise – and the displacement of millions of people due to two devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye on 6 February 2023. I send my deep condolences to the family and friends who have lost loved ones from the quakes. The tragic and shocking loss of life in Türkiye is difficult for us to comprehend, being so far away. I struggle to find words that can truly do justice to the depth of human suffering that this disaster has wrought and that we have been witnessing on a daily basis on our TV screens and on social media for the past few weeks. This quake has caused enormous distress in my new electorate of Northern Metropolitan, which contains the largest Turkish community in the Australian diaspora. My message to the Victorian Turkish community is that the Victorian Parliament and the people of Victoria stand in solidarity with you.

The earthquake has also been devastating for the people of northern Syria, who have had to endure decades of being bombed by the Assad regime, and having escaped Assad’s bombing they went to Türkiye for sanctuary and have been devastated again. I would urge the federal government to continue with support to the international efforts to assist the people of Türkiye and the civilian population of the earthquake-affected non-regime-controlled areas of Syria.