ANKARA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Tuesday a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces of Türkiye hit by massive quakes.
The decision is taken in order to ensure that search and rescue activities and subsequent studies can be carried out quickly, he said at a press conference.
Death tolls from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Türkiye rose to 3,549, Erdogan added.
A total of 53,317 search and rescue staff and support personnel are currently working in the earthquake zones, according to the president.