Bulgaria was the first European country to send humanitarian aid and rescue teams to Türkiye after quake

The Ministry of Defence provided the transportation of medical teams from the Military Medical Academy (MMA), teams of the Bulgarian Red Cross and emergency rescue teams of Sofia Municipality on February 6.

The first flight of the two Spartan planes departed with the MMA teams and the Metropolitan Municipality teams.

Bulgarian emergency rescue teams and equipment flew to Türkiye to help after the major earthquakes

The second flight transported a team of 12 people of the Bulgarian Red Cross, 5 dogs from the Mountain Rescue Service and two off-road vehicles of the Bulgarian Red Cross.

"We were in Türkiye in 1999, in August, at Adapazar, (referring to a major earthquake that occurred in the Marmara region). We had a group of rescuers from the Bulgarian Red Cross. It's a bit scary because you go where the earth is still trembling, buildings are falling down and we see a lot of unforeseen things. But we have to save people," said Rumen Bayakov.

"After all, that's what we train with these dogs for. This is part of the work we are trained for," said Tervel Totev, a rescuer with the Bulgarian Red Cross.