By Emmanuel Oti Acheampong
On Monday, February 6, 2023, an earthquake occurred in Turkey and Syria, respectively, and reports that have been flooding in from the incidence indicate that over 6000 people are feared dead in Turkey and over 2000 are also feared dead in Syria, respectively.
The incident has thrown the whole world into a state of prayer and discomfort. Among them are friends and families in Ghana who have relations in these affected countries.
In an interview with Kafui Dey on GTV’s Breakfast show on February 8, 2023, Ghana’s Ambassador to Turkey and a former face of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, H.E. Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, assured Ghanaians that all Ghanaians in Turkey are safe and duly accounted for.
According to her, most of the Ghanaians who are in the earthquake affected area are students and about eighteen who are all safe and well.
She said the next step of the Ghanaian Mission in Turkey is to evacuate the Ghanaians in the affected region of Turkey to the capital, which is Istanbul, and be camped by the end of the day.
“I can report that all the Ghanaians in the part of Turkey where the earthquake struck are all accounted for. Most of them are students. There are about 18 students. They are all safe and well,” she said.
Madam Francisca reiterated to instill hopes in the hearts and minds of Ghanaians both at home and abroad that former Chelsea and Newcastle star, Christian Atsu, according to her sources, has been rescued and taken to a medical Center to be attended to because he was found injured.
She admitted that though the sources claim the Ghanaian International has been rescued, it has become rather challenging for them with the location of where Christian Atsu is being attended to. She further assured that a search is underway by the Ghanaian Foreign Affairs Ministry in Turkey to find where Atsu is receiving treatment.
