On the evening of February 13th, a Vietnamese military task force specializing in rescue and disaster relief operations arrived in Antakya, Hatay province, Southern Turkey, coming from Istanbul.

The delegation, led by Major General Phạm Văn Tỵ, Deputy Director of the Rescue - Relief Department (General Staff of the Vietnamese People's Army) and Deputy Head of the Standing Office of the National Committee for Incident Response, Natural Disaster, and Search and Rescue, consisted of 76 military personnel and 6 service dogs. 

Despite the long journey from Vietnam to Antakya, all members were reported to be in good health and high spirits, fully prepared for their mission.

At the airport, the Vietnamese team held discussions with representatives from the General Directorate of Disaster Coordination and Emergency Situations of the Turkish Ministry of the Interior to assess the specific needs on the ground.

After sorting and inventorying their equipment, the team is expected to swiftly move to a designated base at a stadium in Antakya, where they will carry out their humanitarian mission throughout the night.

Prior to this deployment, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam made the decision to send the 76-member military force to support and provide relief assistance in response to the disaster in Turkey./.

VNA