Turkey and Syria earthquake: Erdoğan defends response as death toll nears 12,000 – latest updates

Erdoğan condemns criticism, says Turkey death toll now 9,057
Speaking in Hatay province, close to the epicentre of the quakes, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said the number of people confirmed dead in Turkey had increased to 9,057, Reuters reports.

Syrian officials and a rescue group in rebel-held north-west Syria have said the death toll there has reached 2,662, bringing the combined tally to 11,719.

The president also condemned criticism of the government’s rescue effort, condemned by many in the country as slow and inadequate.

“This is a time for unity, solidarity. In a period like this, I cannot stomach people conducting negative campaigns for political interest,” Erdoğan said, adding that it was not possible to be prepared for such a disaster.