Taiwan donates drone command vehicles to Istanbul for disaster response

Tel Aviv, Jan. 22 (CNA) Taiwan has donated two unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command vehicles to the Turkish city of Istanbul to help boost its disaster preparedness.

At a donation ceremony on Tuesday, Taiwan's representative to Turkey Huang Chih-yang (黃志揚) said it was important to strengthen Instanbul's disaster response capabilities, given the high risk of earthquakes in the region and the city's dense population of over 16 million.

The two drone command vehicles, which carry high-tech equipment, support a new disaster relief model that uses the latest drone technology, Huang said.

The new model incorporates the experience of drone operators who have worked in disaster relief in both Turkey and Taiwan, he said.

In response, Ergun Cebeci, head of the Istanbul disaster coordination center (AKOM), expressed thanks to Taiwan on behalf of the city government.

Cebeci said Istanbul is spread across mountains, forests, straits, and dense residential areas, which makes disaster response a diverse and complex operation.

The two UAV command vehicles, with their pioneering equipment, will enhance the city's search and rescue capabilities, he said.

Cebeci also voiced concern about the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck southern Taiwan on Tuesday and said he was pleased to hear that there were no fatalities.