Woman passes through rubble of the earthquake in Turkiye. (Credit: BBC).

South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation says he sympathizes with the Turkish people in the wake of the devastating earthquake that rocked southeastern parts of the country and neighboring Syria.

In a press statement, Minister Mayik Ayii Deng said the government stands in solidarity with the people of Turkiye.

“It is with deep and overwhelming sorrow that I learnt of this devastating effect of the earthquake. On behalf of the government and the people of South Sudan, I convey my deepest sympathy to the Republic of Turkiye for the lives lost during this natural disaster,” Mayik said.

“The Republic of  South Sudan holds dear the friendly relation with our sisterly nation Turkiye. We choose to stand with you through the good and the bad.”

More than 17,000 people are now known to have died after Monday’s earthquakes in southern Turkiye and northern Syria, according to the recent figures.

It is the biggest natural disaster to strike the region since 1999, when a similarly powerful quake killed more than 17,000 people in Turkey.