Two earthquakes of 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude occurred in south-east Türkiye on 06 February 2023. The epicentre of the earthquakes occurred in the Kahramanmaraş region and affected an area of 400 kilometres. Thousands of aftershock earthquakes ensued.

The most heavily impacted provinces in Türkiye were Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Hatay, Malatya, and Adiyaman. A Türkiye Earthquake Flash Appeal was launched on 16 February to support government relief efforts for three months.

The response to the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes has been led by the Government of Türkiye, coordinated through the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

The ETS supported the government-led response from 16 February to 17 May 2023 to enhance and troubleshoot data connectivity in common spaces, set up and strengthen security communications systems, and set up charging station services for communities in temporary settlements. ETS services were delivered in eight locations across the earthquake-affected regions.

The ETS response was supported by Standby Partners (SBP) and equipment from Ericsson Response, as well as a remote SBP from iMMAP. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) tracked mobile network and data connectivity across a 200 kilometres radius of the earthquake epicentre using the Disaster Connectivity Maps (DCM) tool.

Ongoing activities to upgrade, enhance, or establish security communications services in six earthquake-affected locations are handed over to the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) and their local partner for implementation beyond the closure of the ETS in Türkiye on 17 May 2023.