Unrest in southern Turkey after Monday’s deadly earthquake has disrupted relief efforts in some places, three rescue groups said.
The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has exceeded 28,000, and despite some miraculous rescues, hope for many more survivors is fading.
German rescuers and the Austrian army called off search operations on Saturday, citing clashes between unidentified groups.
A rescuer said security is expected to worsen as food supplies dwindle.
Turkey’s president said he would use emergency powers to punish lawbreakers.
Dozens of members of the Austrian forces’ disaster relief unit have left to take shelter at a base camp with other international organizations following clashes between unidentified groups in Hatay province, an Austrian military spokesman said Saturday morning. .
“Aggression between factions in Turkey is on the rise,” Lt. Col. Pierre Kogelvis said in a statement. “The potential for saving lives bears no reasonable relation to the safety risk.”
Hours after Austria halted aid operations, the country’s defense ministry said the Turkish military had stepped in to provide protection, allowing rescue operations to resume.
The German branch of search and rescue group ISAR and Germany’s Federal Agency for Technical Relief (TSW) also suspended operations, citing security concerns.
ISAR spokesman Stephen Hein said there are more and more reports of clashes between different factions, with shots being fired.
Asar’s operations manager, Steven Byer, said he expected security to worsen due to shortages of food, water and hope.
“We are watching the security situation very closely as it develops,” he said.
German rescue teams said they would resume work as soon as Turkish authorities deemed the situation safe, according to Reuters.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Okte announced on Saturday that the death toll in Turkey had reached 24,617.
Although Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has not commented on the alleged unrest in Hatay, he reiterated on Saturday that the government would take action against those involved in crimes in the region.
“We have declared a state of emergency,” Mr Erdogan said during a tour of the disaster zone today. This means that henceforth those involved in looting or kidnapping should know that the strong hand of the state is behind them.
According to JEE News, state media reported on Saturday that 48 people had been arrested in connection with the looting. Several guns were seized along with cash, jewelry and bank cards, Turkish state media said.
A 26-year-old man who found a colleague working in a collapsed building in Antakya told Reuters: “People were breaking windows and fences of shops and cars.”
Turkish police have also reportedly detained 12 people in connection with collapsed buildings in Gaziantep and Sanliurfa provinces. According to DHA news agency, they included contractors.
Mr. Okte told reporters at the weekend that prosecutors had issued 113 arrest warrants for the buildings, with more arrests expected.
At least 6,000 buildings collapsed in Turkey, raising questions about whether the mass tragedy could have been avoided and whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government could have done more to save lives.
With elections looming, the president’s future after 20 years in power and his calls for national unity are being ignored.
Mr Erdogan has acknowledged shortcomings in the response, but appeared to blame fate on a visit to a disaster zone: “Such things have always happened. It’s part of fate’s plan.”
