Members of his search and rescue teams EMAK who returned from earthquake-affected areas Turkeythe prime minister met Kyriakos Mitsotakis who visited today, shortly before leaving for Munich, the facilities of the 1st Special Disaster Response Team (SDR) in Elefsin.

EMAC leaders informed the Prime Minister about the mission and shared their experience with him. Kyriakos Mitsotakis thanked the rescuers for their important contribution to saving lives in Turkey, as well as for the work they offer in general.

“What you did at this moment was not only of human value, but was also a very significant manifestation of solidarity between our two peoples in a geopolitically difficult environment,” said Mr. Mitsotakis. And he emphasized, referring to a strong message of solidarity: “So you have fulfilled a double national mission, and for that I am personally – but I believe that I interpret the feelings of all Greek women and all Greek men – deeply indebted to you. “

“Mr. Minister, Mr. Deputy Minister, Mr. Chief, dear employees of EMAK, ECAV, I really would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this very important mission that you have been fulfilling for a long time.

And let me also say a big thank you to you for what you did during this last devastating earthquake in Turkey, where you were the first to attempt under conditions that, for us mere mortals, are almost unimaginable. I’m trying to imagine what it’s like for you to step into the ruins, when the threat of another earthquake is always hanging over your head, in order to save people who will surely die without your presence.

And I believe that what you did at this moment was not only of human value, but was also a very important manifestation of solidarity between our two peoples in difficult geopolitical conditions.

I think you also understand this, but I believe that you have experienced great satisfaction and emotions from the love that you have received. The love of ordinary Turks who faced a natural disaster and saw the first arriving Greeks with the Greek flag risking their lives to save their brethren.

And I think this is a very strong message of solidarity between the two peoples that will accompany us for a long time to come.

So you have fulfilled a double national mission, and for that I personally – but I think I interpret the feelings of all Greek women and all Greek men – are deeply indebted to you.

And I believe we feel, Mr. Minister and Mr. Chief, more secure in the knowledge that we now have specialized personnel that can respond to the most extreme conditions and the most severe natural disasters that we know from the facts. which we will be face to face.

And it is our duty, the duty of the state, to support you in every possible way in your work. With the best equipment, with a central structure that will constantly improve the Civil Protection.

And, of course, through the process of educating our entire society about what it means to live in the face of natural disasters. As you know, we now have a separate operational program at the European level on civil protection with important financial instruments for the next period. But now we are also playing a leading role in the European Civil Protection Mechanism, as we should, because we have the know-how to do it.

So, I want to once again thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and let us all remember the last words of Kazantzakis that “we are human only when we really feel the pain of others.”

You have felt the pain of others during very difficult times and you have made us all very proud.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Stylianidis, Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas, Secretary General of Civil Protection Vassilios Papageorgiou, Fire Chief Georgios Pournaras, EKAV President Nikos Papaevstatiou and Professor of Geology and Disaster Management at the University of Athens and OASP President Efthymios Lekkas.