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February 20, 2023

Turkey Winding Down Earthquake Rescue Operations as Anger Grows over Scale of Deaths & Destruction
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Turkey says it is wrapping up rescue operations in all but two
provinces, two weeks after a pair of massive earthquakes and their
aftershocks devastated Turkey and neighboring Syria. The death toll now
tops 46,000 and is expected to keep rising as more bodies are
discovered.

This weekend, Ghanaian soccer star Christian Atsu was confirmed as one
of the victims. Thirty-one-year-old Atsu played for a Turkish club and
previously for teams in Saudi Arabia and Britain. Christian Atsu's body
was repatriated to Ghana as tributes poured in, with his former soccer
clubs in the U.K. holding a minute's applause before their weekend
games.

Meanwhile, a union representing architects and engineers in Turkey has
condemned the government and local authorities for ignoring their
warnings about issues with building construction and their pleas for
stronger regulations.


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