Yerevan says Erdogan thanked Pashinyan for help after quake
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Pashinyan expressed his condolences on behalf of the Armenian nation to the people of Turkey in a phone call with Erdogan in regard to the grave number of casualties brought on by the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey's southeastern areas.
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is pictured during an interview with Reuters in Yerevan, Armenia October 13, 2020 (REUTERS)
In a phone call, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for Armenia's assistance after the devastating earthquake, emphasizing how much the Turkish government values Yerevan's assistance, according to sources in the Armenian government.
"Erdogan thanked the prime minister of Armenia for his help and noted that the Turkish government highly appreciated the support of Armenia, emphasizing the importance of this step also in the context of further deepening the dialogue between the two countries," the statement says.
Pashinyan expressed his condolences on behalf of the Armenian nation to the people of Turkey in a phone call with Erdogan in regard to the grave number of casualties brought on by the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey's southeastern areas.
"Pashinyan wished a speedy recovery to all the victims and added that a plane carrying the rescue forces of the Republic of Armenia was preparing to fly from Yerevan's Zvartnots airport to the disaster zone," the statement says.
Read more: Turkey Dialogue with Armenia 'Not Closed': Erdogan
Turkey's earthquake death toll increased to 5,434, another 31,777 people were injured, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
"At the moment, the death toll from the earthquake is 5,434, and 31,777 people have been injured," Koca told reporters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said back in September his country is ready for dialogue with Armenia, adding that the latter must take steps toward opening a transport link through its territory.
Yerevan and Ankara never had any diplomatic relations, and their shared border has been closed since the 1990s.
The relationship between the two countries has been strained due to Turkey refusing to recognize Armenia's allegations of genocide that are said to have been committed by the Ottoman Empire during WWI.
The relations between the two countries have further deteriorated because of the Nagorno-Karabakh war when Turkey allied with Azerbaijan to control the region.
Read more: Armenian PM accuses Baku of conducting policy of ethnic cleansing
