TSF mission in Turkey (October 24th – October 28th, 2011)

After the violent earthquake in eastern Turkey on October 23rd, a TSF team deployed in less than 24 hours to provide support to the Turkish emergency responders and the affected populations. The Turkish government did not ask for international assistance, but TSF was authorized to go to the affected areas and was the only international NGO deployed.

The TSF team immediately coordinated with the crisis centre in Van and reached Ercis, the town most affected by the earthquake, to evaluate the telecommunications needs. TSF also coordinated with the Turkish Red Crescent responsible for the shelters’ management.

The mission revealed that local operators had provided an immediate response and telecommunications networks were operational. The humanitarian organisation as well as refugees were able to make calls and connect to the internet. TSF reached the most remote villages between Van and Ercis where telecommunications were also fully functional. The Turkish telecom companies provided a coordinated and efficient emergency response thanks to several telecom installations on the ground.

This assessment mission enabled TSF to draw up a situation report for OCHA’s telecommunications service and to offer telecoms expertise to the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department of the European Commission.