FM Çavuşoğlu, Indian FM discuss bilateral ties, Türkiye quake
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (L) and Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (R) shake hands after holding discussions on the sidelines of G-20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, Feb. 28, 2023. (AA Photo)


Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed bilateral relations in India's capital New Delhi on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday.

In a Twitter post, Çavuşoğlu said he met with India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and thanked him for Operation Dost, a search and rescue operation initiated by the Indian government to aid earthquake-hit Türkiye and Syria.

For his part, Jaishankar said on Twitter that he appreciates Çavuşoğlu's "warm words for #OperationDost and all personnel involved."

"Discussed the G20 agenda, the Ukraine conflict and our bilateral cooperation," he added.

India’s "Operation Dost" ("Friendship Operation"), launched for dispatching urgent relief to Türkiye in the wake of the devastating earthquakes that jolted the country’s south, expresses New Delhi’s solidarity with Ankara, India’s Ambassador to Türkiye Virender Paul said.

Apart from several organizations, help from individuals is on the rise as many in India are pledging to help quake-hit Türkiye. The Turkish Embassy in New Delhi is receiving aid and relief from various sections of the society.

Governments and international organizations worldwide have responded with offers of support after two major earthquakes struck southern Türkiye and northwest Syria.

Over 44,000 people died in the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes that struck southeastern Türkiye nine hours apart on Feb. 6.