Runsewe Condoles With Turkey, Syria Over Recent Natural Disaster

The Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has joined other Nigerians to condole with the Republic of Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic over the devastating earthquake in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep.

Runsewe who is also the President of the World Craft Council, Africa Region, expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident when he paid condolence visits to the embassies in Abuja.

The Director General, who was received by the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Hidayet Bayracter, signed the condolence register where he expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident which claimed dozens of lives and destroyed property whose values cannot be measured.

Runsewe however assured that the arts and culture family was solidly behind the Turkish community in this time of grief.

The Ambassador of Turkey His Excellency, Bayracter, expressed his appreciation for the kind gesture.

At the Syrian embassy, Runsewe said he was at the embassy to condole with the good people of the Syrian Arab Republic over the unfortunate disaster. 

Runsewe wished the injured a speedy recovery while assuring that the prayers and thoughts of the management and staff of the National Council for Arts and Culture and all well-meaning Nigerians are with them as they cope with the severe disaster and its aftereffects.

The Syrian Ambassador, HE Firas Sheikh Muhammad, in his response expressed delight over the visit. 

It would be recalled that on 6 February 2023, a catastrophic and destructive Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey, as well as northern and western Syria. It occurred 34 km west of the city of Gaziantep at 04:17 AM TRT, with a Mercalli intensity of XI. The death toll from the Turkey-Syria earthquakes has crossed 41,000.