Elon Musk says ready to help Turkey with Starlink Satellites as 3 quakes jolt the nation

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that his company SpaceX is ready to activate emergency Starlink satellites over Turkey as the country struggles to deal with the havoc of the devastating earthquake. A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by 7.7 and 6.0 quake, jolted Turkey and Syria which led to the death of over 1,500 people.

Responding to the tragedy, Billionaire Elon Musk said that he is ready to activate an emergency Starlink satellite over Turkey. The Starlink services that helped Ukraine to stay connected with the world in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war are currently not approved by the Turkish government.   

On Monday, a Yale professor wrote to Twitter asking Musk, if there is any chance to help the country with Starlink satellites. “Hey @elonmusk a massive earthquake hit Turkey and neighbouring countries. Severe communication shortages are happening. Any chance you can help with your Starlink satellites? @SpaceX #deprem," Prof. Mehmet Emin Adin wrote on Twitter. Musk promptly responded to his query, expressing his desire to help the country. “Starlink is not approved by the Turkish government yet. SpaceX can send as soon as approved,” Musk wrote on Twitter. 

Combined death toll reaches over 1,500 

The combined death toll of the devastating earthquake has reached over 1,900, as per AP. Several nations and organisations have offered help by sending search and rescue teams. India, the EU and NATO have offered help and dispatched rescue teams to support Turkey to deal with the aftermath of the quake. The medical infrastructure in both countries is also facing immense strain as the death toll continues to rise. 

Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.0 - Central Turkey https://t.co/BJCfAxukDb

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) February 6, 2023