KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia is ready to assist Turkiye in more capacities in the nearest future, especially in helping the Turkish government and its people affected by the recent earthquakes.

Anwar, in an exclusive interview with the TRT World that was uploaded on YouTube yesterday, said Malaysia would do more in offering assistance after discussion he had with Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“We (Malaysia) have sent three teams, so far. I’ve discussed with the President that we’ll certainly do more, although Turkiye already has that huge capacity in terms of resources and facilities.

“We’ll need and continue to raise more funds and support, as well as providing relief support here. With Muslim and non-Muslim populations in Malaysia who’re committed to assist, I think it will make things easier for us to contribute and help more,” he said in the interview with TRT World’s diplomatic correspondent Andrew Hopkins on his one-day visit to Turkiye.

The Prime Minister said the Malaysian search and rescue (SAR) team — comprising members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART), Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force, and Malaysian Armed Forces Royal Medical Corps stationed in Nurdagi — has shown extraordinary capability with efforts that the nation can be proud of.

Anwar, who arrived home today, was in Turkiye to express support to the rescue teams as well as Malaysia’s commitment to helping its people affected by the twin earthquakes.

He had visited the Ground Zero, and described the enormity of destruction from earthquakes as “so horrible and beyond imagination.”

Anwar had also met with Erdogan in Ankara to convey Malaysia’s condolences during the short trip.

“I feel the urge and need to personally thank the workers and rescuers. I need to express my sentiments, sympathy and support to the President and the people of Turkiye.

“People (have had) outpouring sympathies and grief throughout Malaysia that when we initiated fundraisings for the calamities recently, in a matter of few days and for a small and developing country relatively, we managed to secure US$10 million (RM44 million). I think this is something extraordinary.

“More than that, whenever Malaysia was in difficulty, Turkiye has been one of many countries that offered help and played its part. This country has that special relationship with Malaysia as a whole, with me personally (too). Since I assumed office, I would like to enhance these shared bilateral relations,” he added.

Today, Anwar said he has given approval for the SMART team, which is supposed to be in Turkiye for two weeks, to extend their stay at Erdogan’s request.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that hit southern Turkiye and north-western Syria on February 6 had killed at least 36,187 people and injured more than 100,000 others in Turkiye, while in Syria at least 5,329 people have died while 14,500 others were injured. — Bernama