ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday there were some problems in the initial response to the massive earthquakes that struck southern Turkiye but operations are back to normal now, adding that the death toll in the country rose to 8,574.

Speaking to reporters in the Kahramanmaras province near the epicentre of the earthquake, with constant ambulance sirens in the background, Erdogan said there had been problems with roads and airports but that everything would get better by the day.

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He also said citizens should only heed communication from authorities and ignore “provocateurs,” as thousands of people complain about the lack of resources and slow response by officials.