President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan hands a “Humanitarian Medal” to Major Sayin Erwen Diploma (center) of the Philippine Air Force and Team Leader of the Philippine Humanitarian and Rescue Team (Photo courtesy of the Office of the President of Türkiye)

President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan hands a Certificate of Appreciation as a “ token to gratitude felt by the Turkish people” to Philippine Embassy Chargé d'affaires, ad interim (ai) Juan E. Dayang, Jr. (Photo courtesy of the Office of the President of Türkiye)

ANKARA, 26 April 2023 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan awarded Major Sayin Erwen Diploma of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Team Leader of the 82-man Philippine Humanitarian and Rescue Team the "Humanitarian Medal" for the PH Team’s support in the aftermath of the devastating twin earthquakes in Türkiye last February at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on 25 April 2023. 

President Erdogan speaking in the awarding ceremony noted that the medals awarded  are Türkiye's expression of sincere gratitude.  "You have earned a special place in the hearts of 85 million people," he said.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Türkiye on 06 February 2023. The earthquake occurred at a depth of seven kilometers in the Pazarcik region of Kahramanmaras Province. The provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, and Kahramanmaras were subjected to massive destruction.  As a result of the earthquake that struck Türkiye, strong tremors were also felt in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus.  The death toll of the earthquake in Türkiye reached 50,783.

Air Force Major Sayin Erwen Diploma (far right) with ASEAN Team Leaders from Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam display their “Humanitarian Medals” outside of the Presidential Complex in Ankara. (Embassy photo)

The Philippine Embassy, represented by Chargé d'affaires, ad interim (ai) Juan E. Dayang, Jr also received a Certificate of Appreciation handed by President Erdogan and signed by Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu which read: “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the support and solidarity shown by your People and Government upon the devastating earthquakes occurred on 06 February 2023 with Kahramanmaraş as its epicenter, which directly affected 11 cities and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. The solidarity shown to us in these difficult times has become an important source of consolation for the Turkish People and will never be forgotten….This certificate of appreciation is a token of gratitude felt by the Turkish People.” ##