The Turkish authorities have rejected the proposal of Cyprus to send a rescue team to the country to help eliminate the consequences of the earthquake, said the Cypriot Foreign Ministry. According to the ministry, Ankara initially supported the relevant initiative of Nicosia.

Despite the initial acceptance of the offer of rescue assistance, Turkey graciously declined Cyprus' offer to deploy a search and rescue team on the ground. The offer still stands, the Cypriot Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on the ministry's Twitter account.

As pointed out in the ministry, the Cypriot authorities are grateful to the rescuers of the Republic, who are always and everywhere ready to save lives. In this case, a rescue team of the country had been waiting for a decision of Ankara since February 8, ready to be sent to the earthquake-stricken country in the framework of the civil protection mechanism of the European Union.