"Based on the authority given to us by Article 119 of the Constitution, we decided to declare a state of emergency," Erdogan said at the State Information Coordination Center in the capital Ankara.
"We will quickly complete the presidential and parliamentary processes about the state of emergency decision, which will cover 10 provinces where earthquakes have occurred and will last for three months," he added.
Erdogan's remarks came after a 7.7 magnitude tremor early Monday struck the Pazarcik district of Kahramanmaras province, then about nine hours later, a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras’s Elbistan district rocked the region, affecting several other provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.
The earthquake was also felt in several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon.
"We are facing one of the biggest disasters not only of the history of the Turkish Republic but also of our geography and the world," Erdogan said.
At least 3,549 people were killed and 22,168 others injured in 10 provinces after two strong earthquakes, according to the president.
"Our biggest relief is that over 8,000 of our citizens have been rescued from the rubble so far," Erdogan said.
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