Russian social media users are claiming that while expressing condolences about the tragic earthquake that struck Turkey, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reminded Ankara that he hopes Turkey will continue to provide assistance to Ukraine. President Zelensky never posted such a tweet, this post is a fake. On the contrary, the Ukrainian President offered help to Turkey and said that Ukrainian rescuers and equipment were being sent to participate in the rescue efforts.
“My sympathies to all the Turkish people. I’m sure that they will be able to overcome everything and the aid supply to Ukraine will not cease,” this is how Zelenskyy’s fake “post” was quoted in Russian social media networks.
This post was created in a photo editor, President Zelenskyy did not express condolences to Turkey in such a way, as is clearly evidenced by all the statements he has made about the devastating earthquake since it occurred. On the President’s official Twitter account, Zelensky first tweeted a message of support and condolences in Turkish, and then in Ukrainian. The fake screenshot does not show the post in Turkish. To be more authentic, the propagandists even invented a legend that the post was allegedly deleted, but the inaccuracy of the screenshot is indicated by the different font of the message. The difference in fonts can be seen in the fake screenshot between the publication-expressing gratitude to the British Prime Minister and the next publication that allegedly addresses the Turkish people.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his sincere condolences to the Turkish president, the people and families of those killed by the earthquake, and wished a speedy recovery to all those affected.
“In this difficult time, we will be with the Turkish people. We are ready to provide the necessary aid to overcome the consequences of the disaster,” Zelenskyy wrote.
Later, the Ukrainian president said that he spoke with President Recep Erdogan and informed him of Ukraine’s decision to send a rescue squad and equipment to Turkey to help with the search and rescue operations.
Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers official website features a corresponding order dispatching “to Turkey the joint search and rescue detachment of the State Emergencies Service (further – joint search and rescue detachment) a total of 87 people, including 10 aircrew members, to assist in liquidation of the earthquake consequences by An-32 and An-26 airplanes and cars.”
Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 struck southeastern Turkey on February 6. According to Turkish and Syrian media as of February 9, the death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has already exceeded 29 thousand people.
