[Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria] Interpreters as "Unsung Hero" of Earthquake Response Supported the Japan Disaster Relief Team

On February 6, 2023, a large earthquake of magnitude 7.8 occurred with the epicenter in the southeastern part of Türkiye. Earthquake, which was followed with the large aftershocks, killed more than 50,000 people in Türkiye and Syria together. Many houses and buildings collapsed one after another. Immediately after the earthquake, Japan dispatched Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) rescue team and medical team through JICA. JDR is made up of Japanese rescue and medical professionals, but interpreters who gathered from all over Türkiye played an essential role in its operations. On June 10th, JICA held a gathering event in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, to express its gratitude to the interpreters.

For the Japanese experts of rescue and medical care to work accurately and promptly at the disaster areas where every second counted, the presence of interpreters who supported the team to translate from Turkish, and to communicate with residents and government officials was indispensable.

The activities of JDR required the cooperation of many interpreters. Immediately after the earthquake, many Japanese or English speakers from all over Türkiye offered the support to JDR, and at the end approximately 50 interpreters gathered to JDR’s operation sites. Most of them were volunteer interpreters, and among them there were students studying Japanese language at universities in various parts of Türkiye.

The rescue team, which arrived the next day after the earthquake, carried out rescue operations in Kahramanmaras, where it was snowing and the temperature was below freezing. The interpreters who gathered in the disaster area also worked under severe conditions tirelessly, and translated for the rescue team while surrounded by collapsing houses. They patiently listened to the voices of residents calling for help.

Subsequently, the medical team dispatched from Japan continued its activities for more than a month, during which time about 10 interpreters always supported the JDR team at the tent hospital set up in Gaziantep Oğuzeli. Compassionately, the interpreters listened to patients who came from nearby towns to seek medical treatment, and supported the activities of the medical teams.

On June 10th, JICA held an gathering event at the Turkish Japanese Foundation in Ankara to express its gratitude to the interpreters who cooperated with the JDR rescue team and the medical team. The interpreters witnessed the devastation of one of the largest earthquakes in history. The gathering event was also aimed to strengthen the connection among interpreters. By doing so, interpreters who have had the same experience can communicate to each other about what they saw and experienced at the disaster areas, and reach out and ask for help with each other.

Ambassador of Japan to Türkiye, H.E. KATSUMATA Takahiko, attended the gathering event and honored the interpreters for their tireless work with a strong sense of responsibility. In addition, Dr. Emin ÖZDAMAR, Vice-Chairman of Turkish Japanese Foundation, and Ms. TANAKA Yuko, Chief Representative of JICA Türkiye Office, praised strong voluntarism and dedication of the interpreters.

Interpreters, whose majority are Japanese-Turkish speakers, will also play a key role for strengthening the friendly relationship between Japan and Türkiye in the future. Therefore, the event provided the opportunity for the participants to experience the unique Japanese culture through the Mochi-making demonstration.

JDR activity, which symbolizes the deep cooperative relationship between Japan and Türkiye as the same earthquake-prone countries, could not have been realized without the dedication of interpreters. The interpreters who devoted themselves to their work were truly "unsung heroes" of the earthquake response.