Ankara and Tokyo will overcome the difficulties together, said the head of a Japanese medical team Takashi Isihara, as Türkiye struggles to heal from its wounds inflicted by two major earthquakes that led to massive destruction and thousands of deaths in the country.

Operating in the Oğuzeli district of southern Gaziantep province, Isihara told Daily Sabah in an exclusive interview that medical treatments started on Wednesday, while as of Thursday, the team set up a field hospital with material and equipment coming from Japan.

"We came as two teams – the first comprised of 36 people including myself arriving on Monday and the second, 34 personnel, arriving on Wednesday. In total we are working as 70 people on the ground," he said.

"We were greeted very warmly by the Turkish people and we are grateful for that. We came from Japan to support the Turkish people but they are also supporting us," Isihara highlighted.

Describing one of his experiences, he said that children approached him and held up a sign saying "Arigatou" (meaning "thank you" in Japanese).

"The people also bring us food and desserts."

"It is often said that the distance between Türkiye and Japan is far, but our hearts are close," Isihara underlined. "When an earthquake took place in Japan in 2011, one of the first rescue teams arriving and staying the longest was that of Türkiye. I myself am from the region affected by that earthquake. I want to thank Türkiye personally. We are close to each other, what we call ‘one heart’ in Türkiye. We will overcome difficulties together."

The first earthquake struck on Feb. 6, when a quake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit southeastern Türkiye, followed by a second major quake with a magnitude of 7.6 hours later.

More than 42,000 people have died in Türkiye and Syria, while thousands remain missing and the region has been largely devastated.

Isihara said that the Gaziantep Oğuzeli state hospital was damaged by the earthquake and the hospital itself was moved to a secondary school, where local medical personnel are working on the site temporarily.

"We work in coordination with the hospital director, provincial health director as well as the district governor," he continued.

He elaborated that there is no deadline for the works of the Japanese team as it depends on the demand of the Turkish government and the Oğuzeli district.

One of the distinct qualifications of the health team is their ability to effectively carry out medical procedures, drawing on experience gained from the Great East Japan Earthquake and other disasters.

For example, one of the problems experienced when a disaster occurs is water cuts. To supply the water, the Japanese Health Team brought a portable waste water filter unit manufactured in Japan. By using this equipment, it is possible to improve the deteriorating hygienic conditions in disaster areas and protect the lives of many people. Japan, which is frequently affected by natural disasters like Türkiye, provides health services day and night, by using this kind of equipment that makes use of the latest technology.

Apart from the medical team, a rescue team of 73 members of Japan International Emergency Search, which was dispatched from Japan immediately after the earthquake occurred, also undertook work in the epicenter of the quake Kahramanmaraş, before departing just days ago.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Ambassador to Türkiye Suzuki Kazuhiro visited Adana province on Tuesday and welcomed a special carrier plane with 15,4 tons of equipment.

"This earthquake is the largest and most serious earthquake in the history of the Republic of Türkiye. Various materials are insufficient in the disaster area. I am pleased that the materials and equipment delivered by the Japan Self-Defense Forces will be sent to the disaster area and will be used to help the Turkish people who are having a hard time," Kazuhiro said in a press statement on Wednesday.

$27 million emergency aid

Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday pledged $27 million in emergency humanitarian aid for the people affected by two massive earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.

The top diplomat told reporters that the aid will be delivered to two earthquake-stricken countries through the World Food Program (WFP) and Japanese nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).