IRU is in contact with its members in Türkiye and Syria following yesterday’s devastating earthquake, offering its deepest condolences to the victims and support to help coordinate relief efforts.
On behalf of the global IRU family, Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has offered his heartfelt sympathies to all caught up in the tragedy in Türkiye, Syria and elsewhere.
Bus, coach and truck operators and drivers in all affected areas have been instrumental in the first emergency responses since the earthquake struck.
IRU members in Türkiye, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) and the Turkish International Transporters’ Association (UND), are working with national and international authorities to coordinate passenger and goods transport movements with local operators.
They are particularly looking for help in the form of vehicles and operators capable of transporting abnormal goods, such as electricity generators, as well as refrigerated trucks. For more information or to offer help, please contact TOBB at tir@tobb.org.tr or UND at info@und.org.tr.
Yesterday, IRU, through its member network, published the first international updates on the disaster’s immediate impacts on main road infrastructure and commercial transport networks.
Umberto de Pretto has also written to the Turkish Ministers of Transport and Trade, expressing IRU’s deepest sympathies and reiterating the international road transport community’s willingness to support with relief and rebuilding efforts where it can.
In addition, IRU has been in contact with its Syrian member, the Syrian National committee of the International Chamber of Commerce.