ANKARA: Turkiye has sent 81 disaster relief experts to the Gaza Strip, some of whom will help with finding the remains of 19 hostages still unaccounted for, a defense ministry source said Thursday.
“There is already a team of 81 AFAD staff there,” the source said, referring to Turkiye’s disaster relief agency, indicating that “one team will be in charge of seeking and finding the bodies.”
Turkiye’s Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) is a government agency that operates under the interior ministry.
“The tasks are known: transmitting humanitarian aid, finding corpses and protecting the ceasefire. But there is no clear information on how to handle these tasks,” the ministry source said.
Asked whether Turkish military forces could get involved, the source said it would be “more the task of civilian entities like AFAD” but in theory the military could help out if needed.
