Israel’s response to yesterday’s (27 Tishrei) request for aid from Turkey was immediate, and efforts have been ongoing since Tuesday afternoon to prepare a 747 cargo plane to bring the badly-needed equipment to rescue workers in Turkey.

A powerful earthquake earlier in the week has resulted in much devastation as the death toll closes in on the 500 number; however it appears the decision that compelled Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seek Israeli assistance was the growing anti-government sentiment among the thousands left homeless due to the quake.

Israel will not be sending rescue personnel, at least not today, for the request from Ankara was for equipment, including temporary homes that will offer shelter to the homeless. These are special structures made for this purpose, and they can be immediately connected to a water and electric grid, to enable those benefiting from the shelter to live relatively normally, capable of being placed down in almost any terrain.

Turkey only asked for aid in the form of equipment at this time, and therefore, the IDF’s Homefront Command search & rescue unit will not be dispatched.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called Erdogan earlier in the week to express his sorrow over the natural disaster, offering any and all Israeli assistance. Some in Israel are somewhat optimistic, with the belief that such an event carries its own ‘diplomatic dynamics’ but most believe that Israel’s willingness to assist will not result in a mending in the current fractured diplomatic relations that exist between Israel and Turkey.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)