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First Move with Julia Chatterley
7.5 Aftershock Reported Nine Hours after Quake; Global Stocks Lower on Rate Uncertainty; China: U.S. Overreacted by Shooting Down Balloon; At least 1,121 Deaths Reported in Turkey, 810 in Syria, Thousands Injured; Ukrainian Troops to begin Training on Leopard Two Tanks in Germany; 2,000 Plus Dead in Syria and Turkey after Massive Earthquake. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired February 06, 2023 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN HOST: Welcome to our continuing coverage of the catastrophic earthquake in Syria and Turkey. I'm Rahel Solomon in today for
Julia Chatterley. The powerful 7.8 magnitude quake rocking Southern Turkey and Northern Syria early Monday with a major aftershock less than 12 hours
later, more than 1900 people are now reported dead and with many more still missing that death toll are expected to climb.
In Syria, the quake has claimed the lives of more than 800 people. Syrian state TV says that most of the damage and deaths were in and around Aleppo
that's near Syria's Northern border with Turkey. Casualties were also reported in opposition held territory in Syria's Northwest.
Right now desperate searches underway for survivors take a look dramatic video showing rescuers they're pulling an injured toddler out of the rubble
in Northwest Syria. Elsewhere, cameras caught the moment one child was rescued from the rubble.
Moments ago, we also got extraordinary footage of a child being rescued from the rubble in the snow. Take a look. You can see a little girl being
pulled from that rubble alive there. She is in a town North of Gaziantep. Now we don't know more, anything more about her or her family.
But these are the moments this right here. These are the moments that keep the rescue workers going. And as rescue efforts continue Turkish President
Erdogan says that he has received offers of help from NATO, the European Union and scores of other countries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT: We do not know how far the number of deaths and injuries will rise as debris removal works continue in many
buildings in the quake zone. Our hope is that we will recover from this disaster with the least loss of life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more now from Istanbul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A young man trapped desperation in his eyes. Then in the pre-dawn darkness, a moment of joy
rescuers hauls him from the wreckage of the building in Southern Turkey. As the morning sun rises, or many others can do is pray.
BIRCAN RIZVAN, DIYARBAKIR RESIDENT: We'll see what happened to those living on the ground floors. May God give us a speedy recovery?
KARADSHEH (voice over): This was a residential building full of families asleep in their homes when the massive earthquake struck just before
daybreak.
IHSAN CETINTAS, DIYARBAKIR RESIDENT: I was sleeping when my wife suddenly woke me up. The quake was very severe, very scary. It took almost two
minutes until the shaking stopped.
KARADSHEH (voice over): We can't yet know how many people could be trapped in a building like this. In wrecked homes like this across Turkey and into
neighboring Syria more buildings brought down a toddler found. The White Helmets have done this before heroes of the Syrian civil war now pulling
people out from under a very different disaster.
So many in rebels held northern Syria and very little yesterday. People will be left with nothing today. In Turkey too foreign help will be needed.
The government in Ankara has asked its neighbors to come to its aid. The Search and Rescue will stretch on for days. Hope will remain for as long as
possible. Jomana Karadsheh CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: And CNN's Scott McLean is following developments from London. Scott, look lots of moving parts here as we said the death toll 1800, 1900
expected to rise. What more are you learning?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's information coming in fast and furious because you're right. The death toll is expected to rise
because consider this sobering statistic, Rahel. You have President Erdogan who said that there were more than 2800 buildings in Turkey that have been
damaged in these series of earthquakes.
The earthquake and then the series of very, very strong aftershocks and obviously rescue efforts are underway. You've seen some people pulled out
already but remember the conditions that they're working in, it's extremely cold, it's near freezing, it's snowing in some areas as well.
And so it is very difficult to pull people out alive given the conditions that they've been trying to survive through for now more than 12 hours they
are also dealing with the risk of tremors or earthquakes.
[09:05:00]
MCLEAN: There was one about 3.5 hours ago that technically is considered an aftershock. But in any other circumstances, this would be a pretty
monumental earthquake on its own. It is even stronger at 7.5-magnitude than the earthquake they had back in 1999 in Northwestern Turkey.
That killed some 17,000 people and left about a half a million people homeless. I just want to show you a piece of video this is from the city, a
small City of Malatya. And there is this comes from a local reporter for station called A News when the shaking started a few hours ago, listen.
I just translate what he's saying here. He said, as we were heading into the rubble of the film search and rescue efforts that were two consecutive
aftershocks with a loud noise in the building you're seeing on my left was brought down to earth. There's a lot of dust, a local resident is coming.
And he is covered in dust areas there.
So a huge number of people live in this part of the country, the most populated city closest to the Epicenter is Gaziantep. That says 2 million
people, that's where we're seeing the highest death tolls but they also have the most resources there. And so it's possible that as rescue crews
make their way into the more, small towns and villages that they may discover that there are fewer rescue resources there.
And again, the death toll may rise yet still, they are also trying hard, Rahel, to try to get mobile connectivity to some of these areas,
electricity back on, the gas has been shut off for obvious reasons so that there's not fire starting amidst all of these aftershocks.
After that 1999 earthquake, Turkey started to take really seriously the idea of beefing up building codes. And so buildings that did not meet code,
the effort, there were efforts to try to tear them down and rebuild them. But obviously, this is a slow process that could not happen overnight.
And so I think we're finding out today which of those buildings are up to code and which ones are not. Obviously there is aid coming into the country
as well, many countries pledging it. But surely it cannot come soon enough, given the staggering numbers of victims and President Erdogan saying and
frankly, they don't know how many people may yet be trapped underneath.
But it is a very different story in Turkey, while they have been working to beef up building codes; the civil war has really less than the standards
and those kind in that country and decimated the infrastructure there. And so they're all there are also two different authorities in Syria.
There's the government in Damascus, and then there was also the rebel held areas in the Northwest sort of working in parallel to one another. And so
it is very unlikely that there's going to be at least Western foreign aid coming in through Damascus and in Northwestern Syria, where the rebel held
areas.
They are pleading for international aid to come into those areas, because we're already seeing pictures of hospitals that are absolutely overwhelmed.
The latest numbers that we have from northwestern Syria, for instance, is that more than 130 buildings have completely collapsed.
And there are more than 270 that are damaged in some ways. And obviously, this is what we know at this stage of the game. But surely, all of these
numbers are going to change as we learn more here, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Much more to come horrific images there. Scott McLean, thank you. And I want to turn now to CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, she joins us from
Istanbul Jomana, if you might set a scene and let us know what sort of how vast this region is that's been hit by this earthquake 10 provinces? I
mean, how vast of an area are we talking about here?
KARADSHEH: This is a vast, vast area, Rahel. We're talking about major cities; you're talking about towns and villages as well across these 10
provinces. And you know, earlier this morning, as we started getting reports of the damage, the destruction and the casualties.
It was initially Governor after Governor from each of these provinces starting to put out these reports about the impact the earthquake and the
number of casualties. Of course, hours after that you started having the centralized crisis management operations in the country providing us with
these updates.
But the fact that this is such a vast area and you're talking about so many different provinces and cities and towns. This is also one of the biggest
challenges that the rescue operation is facing right now.
[09:10:00]
KARADSHEH: As we understand from the country's disaster and emergency management agencies that you know if you look at previous earthquakes in
this country some really devastating earthquakes over the years. For the most part, they'll be contained in a certain city or an area.
But in this case, you are talking about so much devastation thousands of buildings that have been destroyed, according to Turkish officials all
across these different cities and towns in these provinces making it very, very complicated for them to try and reach these areas earlier. You know,
we were hearing that in some in a number of areas, the runways in airports had sustained damage.
And so it was also making it hard for the search and rescue teams that are being deployed from different parts of the country. The military had also
mobilized support, medical support, and search and rescue teams as well. And they were also finding it difficult to try and fly into these areas.
In addition to all of this, Rahel, I don't know if you can see the weather right here. Turkey is facing this winter storm. It is freezing right now,
it's snowing, it's raining. There are visibility issues; it's going to get dark soon as well.
I mean, it's so hard to imagine what people on the ground are dealing with right now. People who are dealing with the trauma of this massive
earthquake followed by more than 30 aftershocks really powerful ones are 7.5 magnitude aftershock and in addition to all of that, you've got people
who have no shelter right now people who can be inside buildings because of these aftershocks.
And now they're dealing of course, with the weather conditions, making it difficult for the teams on the ground, working this very delicate search
and rescue operation to try and pull people from under the rubble. We don't really know how many people are believed to be trapped underneath, but the
concern is and the fear is that it could be in the thousands so a very, very difficult time for the people of this country and of course, as well
across the border in Syria, Rahel.
SOLOMON: And Jomana you make a great point, the weather certainly complicating rescue efforts making it challenging not just for those
rescuers in that part of the recovery efforts. But also those survivors, right those tens of thousands of people who have survived this tragedy.
Jomana Karadsheh, thank you.
And now I want to bring in Mark Kaye, he joins me now he's the International Rescue Committee's Policy, Director for the Middle East and
North Africa. Mark, welcome to the program.
MARK KAYE, POLICY, ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR MENA IRC: Thanks for having me.
SOLOMON: So from what you can see? What appears to be the top priority now in terms of getting international aid into this region?
KAYE: Well, the IRC have been responding in Syria since 2012, we're present across the north. We have over 1000 staff, which now have been directly
affected, you know, they woke up three, four in the morning with hearing the sounds of buildings collapse around them. And now they're being you
know, asked much like other organization organizations to respond, and what we're seeing really inside Syria is a catastrophic situation.
And your previous reporter there was just explaining about the weather from that's coming in. Even before today, we were warning of freezing winds that
were going to impact a huge displaced population, who were living often in makeshift camps in informal centers. And those places just haven't been
equipped to withstand this earthquake.
And so today, obviously, you've been seeing a lot of people being pulled out of rubble. I think what we're really concerned about, as well, as is
those who have survived, and whether the health system is going to be able to really come to grips with that and not be completely overburdened.
SOLOMON: I see and we've already had reporters this morning, reporting that some of the hospitals in the region have been completely overwhelmed. Mark,
before I move on, I want to ask have all of your staff been accounted for. And are they all saved from what you can understand?
KAYE: So at the moment, we are still actually just trying to get the last amount of our head counts down. We're hopeful that people will be safe. But
the fact that the power cuts, lack of communications is making it really difficult across Northern Syria at the moment, particularly in some of the
rural areas.
I think a lot of the pictures that we've been seeing have been from urban areas. But actually there's lots of people who are living out in rural
sites, again, also still living in shelters that probably due to the fact that the country has been suffering crisis and conflict for more than 12
years now. Really aren't built to the specifications to withstand the magnitude of a 7.8 earthquake.
SOLOMON: Absolutely and Mark, when we look at these videos, you've seen these devastated buildings.
[09:15:00]
SOLOMON: And then you see scores of people many of whom are trying to help by hand. And I wonder is that the best method at this point or is machinery
necessary in terms of expediting recovery efforts. Help me understand; when we look at these videos, we see a lot of people trying to remove the debris
by hand.
KAYE: So I mean, what I'd say is I think we've seen some incredible acts of solidarity, you know, countries supporting particularly the efforts in
Turkey and offering to send search and rescue teams, we need to see that translate into Syria as well. And this earthquake doesn't respect
boundaries.
And so we're really quite concerned really that inside Northern Syria where you know, tens of thousands, maybe even more are currently affected. Search
and rescue operation just isn't fit for scope. Without a doubt, I think the next 24 hours really is lifesaving mode. And everyone you know, really
throwing their all into to try and make sure that we are able to pull people out of rubble before it gets dark.
It is almost night time here now and temperatures are supposed to go below freezing in the next couple of hours. Anyone who is left out you knows
there is the risk of exposure. And for this area, you really have to remember that this population was already highly vulnerable.
They have a huge amount of people who have been displaced sometimes as many as 20 times. And at the same time, you've got almost the majority of them
are women and children particularly vulnerable to the harsh weather and also the impact of this earthquake.
SOLOMON: The most vulnerable. Mark Kaye, I appreciate you being on the program today, thank you.
KAYE: Thank you.
SOLOMON: And we'll have more "First Move", after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Welcome back! And we'll bring you the latest on that deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria in just a few minutes. But first let's take
a quick check of the markets, U.S. stocks look set for a lower open red arrows across the screen. As investors kick off the new trading week,
Europe looks lower as well.
All of this across the board after an across the board pullback for U.S. stocks on Friday that was triggered by that very strong January jobs
report. The report raising fears that the Federal Reserve will have to keep pushing borrowing costs higher than expected this year. Fed Chairman Jerome
Powell delivers a speech tomorrow with the Economic Club in Washington.
[09:20:00]
SOLOMON: Other Fed officials will also be out in force this week to give their assessment of the rate outlook. Political risk in the tech sector as
well. Reports say that President Biden will call for fresh regulation of the industry during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
And let's take a look at Chinese stocks red arrows across the board as well. The HANG SENG falling more than 2 percent shows lower amid fears that
the suspected Chinese spy balloon incident will harm U.S.-Chinese relations at a critical time.
This as the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard are working to recover debris from the downed balloon off the coast of South Carolina. The suspected spy
balloon was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet on Saturday. This video here shows a pile of white material on a boat at a dock.
Now CNN cannot confirm that this was part of the balloon, but the video was taken close to where it was shot down. China causes the U.S. moving
overreaction, insisting that the balloon was for civilian use. Meanwhile, Beijing admitting that another balloon spotted over Latin America also
belongs to China.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Pentagon says another surveillance balloon from China has been spotted over Latin America. And the U.S. says
there were three instances during the Trump Administration of China flying surveillance balloons over the U.S. What's the purpose of these balloons
from China?
MAO NING, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: After ratification the balloon over Latin America the unmanned air shipping question came from
China and was of a civilian nature use for flight tests. Due to the weather and the limited control ability the airship has. The airship seriously
deviated from his intended route and enters the airspace over Latin America and the Caribbean by mistake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Will Ripley, is live for us in Taipei. Will, what more can you tell us, especially about what comes next?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rahel. Well, what comes next is certainly as they collect the pieces of that balloon and take
them to the FBI lab. We might start to hear some calls from China to return that balloon, which they claim is for civilian purposes.
Even though that claim is questioned not just by the Pentagon, but also by defense officials here in Taiwan, who have reported similar sightings of
suspected Chinese balloons over this island just within the last couple of years, most recently, just about a year ago, in February of 2022.
And so now that China might be wanting to balloon back without a whole lot of scrutiny from the FBI we have to look back at what has happened when the
tables have been turned. And more than 20 years ago, when a U.S. Military spy plane had to make an emergency landing on China's Hainan Island.
It took three months for China to return that plane to the United States. And it was returned in pieces it had been a disassemble that had been
picked through. The Chinese can probably expect similar treatment of this balloon, which there yes, they're doubling down on this claim that it was
an essentially a weather balloon.
Despite all of the pushback from, you know, military experts who say the 90 feet of hardware in the bottom of it is unlike pretty much any weather
balloon that anyone has ever seen. Nonetheless, China did fire the head of their weather service. And they say that all of this was a mistake.
Now the claim that the flight path was a mistake is being challenged by certainly experts in the United States, and also some here in Taiwan. They
believe that it might have been deliberately flown over those sensitive sites like the missile silos in Montana. But it could be a case of the
military not talking to the Foreign Ministry, because China is just a massive bureaucracy.
And so the military may not have been aware, may not have really cared that it was happening on the day before a crucial visit by the U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken. Even though Blinken supposedly was going to meet with the Chinese President Xi Jinping so it just gives us you know, in this
very, very obscure nation.
China where there's almost no transparency when it comes to this sort of thing. We're left to guess whether this was indeed an accident. Was this
diplomatic sabotage, tested U.S. Military's response time tested President Biden or a massive bureaucratic mix up? We may never know the answer,
Rahel.
SOLOMON: Will Ripley, lots of questions and lots of theories. Good to have you on the program, thank you. And for more on this, Michael Hirson joins
us now he is the Head of China Research at 22V Research. Michael, look, relations were already pretty frigid. But they had appeared to be thawing.
I mean, how significant, do you believe that the spy balloon incident will be in terms of damaging the relationship between China and the U.S.?
MICHAEL HIRSON, HEAD OF CHINA RESEARCH AT 22V RESEARCH: Well, I think the incident itself is irreparable; it will blow over if you excuse the pun. I
think what it really shows though, is how vulnerable the relationship is right now to a single incident, a miscalculation or an accident.
And you know it's very possible that we can see a more serious type of incident just given the fact that we've got two militaries that are
competing in a lot of contested areas like the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
[09:25:00]
HIRSON: So I think it is worrying in terms of where it shows the dynamic in the relationship right now.
SOLOMON: I think fragile is a great way to put it as you put. So what do you think the biggest risk moving forward if the relationship as you put it
is still very fragile? Is that Ukraine? Is that Taiwan? I mean, what is the biggest risk factor moving forward?
HIRSON: I think Taiwan has to stand at the top really. And the reason is that what we saw with the balloon episode was the domestic political
reaction within the U.S. where President Biden was being criticized for not acting immediately in any sign of not acting immediately is seen as a sign
of weakness.
This episode doesn't really I think, trigger very intense politics on the Chinese side, to be sure there is some reaction. But there are politics in
China too. And if we were to see an episode, for example, over Taiwan, which is very sensitive, that's where you see an episode where the Chinese
public is also reacting.
And the Chinese leadership feels that is also under pressure not to back down. So I think that's really the risk is where we see both sides having
to face not only mutual distrust, but also intense domestic politics within their own country.
SOLOMON: I see, so at this point, do you believe that this becomes now a political football, so to speak between the Democrats and the Republicans
in terms of who can prove that they are toughest on China?
HIRSON: That is certainly where China is right now in the relationship. And you see that both parties, of course, are acting very tough on China. I
think this was clearly an example of a single incident becoming a political football. But absolutely the broader dynamic is that is very much where the
China debate stands in the U.S. right now.
SOLOMON: Michael, help me understand some of the possible scenarios. Now, once the U.S. gets its hands on the debris, on these pieces helped me
understand some of the scenarios and how much more significant this damage could become, depending on what the U.S. finds?
HIRSON: Well, I mean, I think we should assume just based on what our defense officials are saying that this was clearly intended for
intelligence purposes. So unless it has some kind of offensive use, I think, you know, we know at this point, that it's mostly an intelligence
asset.
And then really, I think the wild card here is China's reaction in terms of how much of the big deal they make this on their side. Thus far, I would
say their response has been relatively restrained and disciplined. And I expect that to remain the case.
But there is, you know, of course, the possibility that they make an even bigger issue, potentially take retaliatory action against the U.S. That's
not my base case. But that I think would be really the thing to watch to see if this has the potential to escalate further.
SOLOMON: Do you think that we see a Blinken trip sooner rather than later? Or do you think this becomes more of a significant reset in relations?
HIRSON: I hope that we see a Blinken trip, it may turn into, you know, a Blinken video call or something similar. I think the reason is that, you
know, we really should waste no time and having this kind of discussion. Of course, the irony of all of this is that Blinken trip was meant to help
maintain guardrails to prevent the risk of a crisis and that is very important.
There's also, you know, a potential window here in the sense that, you know, that there's the potential for House Speaker McCarthy to visit
Taiwan, perhaps in the spring, that I think, you know, this adds an additional element to what would be a very tense backdrop for that. So I do
think it is important that we have this kind of conversation and maintain these channels and that is, you know, I think something I'm watching very
closely as well.
SOLOMON: It's interesting; you had the sort of sit down at the G 20 on the sidelines of the G 20. You had Davos which appeared the Chinese had become
a lot more, friendly to Western interests. We almost had this trip so we'll see how the future looks now, Michael Harrison, Head of China Research at
22V Research, thank you. And still to come, a race against time and the elements to pull survivors from the rubble after that deadly earthquake in
Turkey and Syria. Our coverage continues after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
SOLOMON: And welcome back to our coverage of that catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria. More than 1900 are dead, after one of the
strongest quakes to hit the region in more than hundred years.
World Health Organization has activated its network of emergency medical teams in the region to help those affected by the disaster. The
Organization's Director said that teams will provide "Essential health care for the injured and most vulnerable".
The earthquake knocked out power and internet connectivity in Southern Turkey and the region will soon be plunged into darkness with a setting sun
at about 30 minutes time. While rescue teams are working against the clock in freezing temperatures to save thousands of people trapped under the
rubble hospitals are operating at maximum capacity.
At least 120 aftershocks had been recorded across the region. Some felt as far away as Israel and Lebanon. Witnesses in Gaziantep told CNN that up to
eight strong aftershocks were felt in just under a minute after the quake. Turkey's President Erdogan said that the quake knocked down thousands of
buildings resulting in that dreadful death pole.
NATO, the EU dozens of other countries and aid groups are all mobilizing to help sending in search and rescue teams trained search socks and tons of
equipment, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars for disaster relief and sending supplies like emergency generators, tents and blankets. The
shaking could be felt as far away as Lebanon and Israel as we said.
CNN's Hadas Gold joins us now from Jerusalem. Hadas what more can you tell us about the international reaction as I understand it, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu also pledging his support? What more can you tell us?
HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes well, I mean, that earthquake was felt here. I mean, my husband felt the shaking in the middle of the
night reports in Tel Aviv, across the West Bank and in Amman, Jordan.
So, I mean, people have been aware of this earthquake since overnight. There have been no injuries or damages reported in Israel or the
Palestinian territories or in Jordan. But it has definitely woken some people up to the idea of the major earthquake could be coming.
Now the Israelis have already said that they will be sending relief similar to as dozens of other countries we're hearing from Taiwan to Netherlands,
we'll be sending supplies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing this afternoon that already these planes are ready to go this afternoon.
And this evening we do expect them to likely be military planes and most likely they will be the type of planes that can land in places where the
runways are not exactly in the best sort of shape. We also know that the Israelis are not only just planning to send search and rescue and medical
relief and that sort of thing.
But also, things like psychological trauma experts, people can help people really comprehend what is happening. Another really interesting aspect is
that the Prime Minister of Israel said that Syria had actually requested some help from Israel now. Israel and Syria have although they're neighbors
they have no diplomatic relations. And now Benjamin Netanyahu only said that it was a diplomatic element that requested this aids.
[09:35:00]
GOLD: We don't know if it came directly from the Syrians or from somebody else. But he did say that Israel will be fulfilling that request, we'll be
sending aid now to Syria as well. And elsewhere from the region you know, we're hearing from the leaders of Jordan of Qatar of the UAE, they've all
reached out, they've all been in touch with their Turkish counterparts, as well as Israeli leaders have been in touch with the Turkish counterparts,
saying that they will be sending aid.
And I think the biggest question right now is how these rescuers will get into these locations, especially as you know we're seeing this just extent
of the damage. And what they will be able to do because the focus is not only on rescuing people out of the rubble but also it's cold.
We can feel the storm front here in Jerusalem, it is incredibly windy. It is incredibly cold and wet. The weather is only expected to continue or
potentially get worse this week. So there's a lot of concern for the people who have lost their homes who have nowhere to go right now with the power
is cut, how are they going to be housed warmed and fed?
How will they have medical care brought to them? And of course, now that all - the other concern is further earthquakes, further aftershocks, you
know, this region, specifically around Jerusalem, they've been warning that the hundred year earthquake that just struck Turkey apparently that they're
expecting one for this region as well.
So now they're trying to re up the advice to citizens what to do in the event of an earthquake? And actually, just last year, Israel released a
new, what they call a somewhat early warning detection system that might give some people a depending on where the epicenter is just potentially
even 30 seconds to be able to move out into an open area or move into a protected area.
Let them use to at least have some sort of chance of survival. And I think a lot of people are refreshing the instructions on what to do in the event
of an earthquake after seeing what happened in Turkey overnight, Rahel?
SOLOMON: Yes, it's an interesting point. Hadas, can you tell us a bit more? I know, you touched on this briefly, but can you tell us a bit more what
we're learning in terms of what Israel is planning to send? As you pointed out, not just to Turkey, but also Syria? Are we learning sort of what
resources might be sent over?
GOLD: Well, I mean, Israel prides itself and they often you know, promote the fact that they send search and rescue teams to these types of
disasters. They've says that they've specialized it they actually also sent a team to that condo collapse in Florida a few years ago.
They sent a special military search and rescue team. So those types of teams will be going in. These are military people who will be going and
trying to help with the search and rescue likely it's also going - I mean, we also know is going to be medical supplies.
We know it's also going to be really just supplies against the elements. These are going to be things like tents, blankets, just sort of the basics
to keep those people warm. And we're looking at these images now, of just entire neighborhoods, entire apartment blocks, and you also have to keep in
mind that the same people who will be going to for help.
Their local hospitals, their local rescuers, they themselves are going to be working out of damaged buildings. They themselves may be hurt
themselves. And so this will also just be personnel, people who can supply medical aid. People who can just supply humanitarian aid, anything really
they can do to help not only find survivors pull them out of the rubble but also treat the people who are as you can see right there out there in the
elements like I said, it's cold, it's very cold.
The weather conditions are not very good for anybody who's going to be out in the elements all night long. And right now it's just about question of
speed. The Israelis say that they're sending planes as we speak. It's only about I would say a two hour direct flight if they could fly direct from
Israel, it should be just about two hours before they could get there on the ground to potentially help.
We're also seeing from Lebanon. A team of firefighters from Lebanon is going up there as well. I mean, these are the closest countries to where
been most directly impacted. And hopefully they can get on the ground as soon as possible because as we can see, they need some help out there.
SOLOMON: As soon as possible in every moment counts. Hadas Gold, thank you! And rescue efforts could be hampered by freezing weather conditions as
Hadas was just mentioning. Chad Myers has the very latest at the World Weather Center.
Chad, you have the elements and the weather complicating efforts, not just for those in the recovery efforts, but also the survivors just actually
surviving through this tragedy and cold weather?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There won't be a single survivor that actually goes home to live in their home tonight. They will be out on the
street. They will be in tents, and they will be in their cars, for the most part because no one wants to go back into a damaged building when more
aftershocks are happening.
There's the low. There's the cold front. There's a reporter right through there. So the cold air is already coming into this area. Temperatures are
going to be below zero. We're going to be minus four minus eight. That is very cold when you are outside. Here is the precipitation especially for
the northern aftershock that 7.5 that we had, that's going to be somewhere between minus eight and minus 10 by morning.
So that is extremely cold to be outside, especially if you're trying to even recover things recover people recover buildings try to get rid of some
of the damage here. This is what we have.
[09:40:00]
MYERS: The original quake right here but notice how all of the aftershocks are in a very large line except for two little outliers here and here that
came in about nine hours later. This is what happens when we have a very large earthquake.
We don't have an epicenter, so to speak, that's one spot. We have a line. We have an EPA line, where the entire area right through here shifts, and
it was a strike slip fault. One part of the earth went one way, the other part went the other way, and they had been locked up in the same places for
decades.
And today, they decided not to be locked up anymore. And this is why we're seeing so much damage because of that push to the either to the East or to
the West, depending on what side of this fault you were on?
The reason why we're seeing so much damage is because we have three plates coming together the African plate, the Anatolian plate, and also the
Arabian plate, and all of the damage that you're seeing is right there. And why was there so much damage?
Well, because acceleration of the ground. The acceleration of the ground, pretend this is a building and all of a sudden the acceleration goes
rapidly this way, the building shifts like this, the top doesn't shift with the bottom, because it just can't keep up.
And we've seen so many buildings that just collapse this way. Possibly, if the top did catch up, it would have collapsed this way because the building
supports those concrete pillars that are keeping those buildings that are keeping those concrete slabs aloft from storey to storey to storey were no
longer any good.
They weren't strong, they were broken. And they collapsed. And we call that panicking. And that's the worst possible scenario, especially at four
o'clock in the morning when people are at home, Rahel.
SOLOMON: At home sleeping unable to even brace. Chad Myers thank you for the demonstration helpful!
MYERS: You bet.
SOLOMON: And we'll have more "First Move" after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Ukraine's Defense Minister says that his troops are set to begin training on leopard tanks in Germany. Several NATO allies have donated the
German tanks to Ukraine. Training is expected to last two to three months.
And it comes as Russia is believed to be preparing for another offensive. For more on this story I'm joined by Nic Robertson who was in Estonia. Nic
so much attention these days on the leopard tanks what more did you learn?
[09:45:00]
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, big military exercise here by NATO 1500 troops over 500 vehicles 44 tanks, the Danish
leopard two tank German made of course, it's very similar to those that are going to be sent to Ukraine.
British challenger two tanks here as well, those tanks go into Ukraine. So the lessons that Ukraine can learn from these military training exercises
here that by the way are just 170 kilometers from the Russian border are very significant because this NATO military exercise puts together the
tanks and the infantry.
So that they can punch through enemy lines and try to take territory which is exactly what the Ukrainians want to get their hands on these tanks to
do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice over): Danish leopard two tanks similar to those soon to be deployed to Ukraine, storming an imagined enemy position in Estonia.
French troops attack fictional front lines as Estonian troops pretend to hold them off all part of the Baltic Nation's annual NATO winter exercise
to gel the multinational alliances into a singular fighting force. These military exercises feel different the French have bought in far more troops
in the past.
ROBERTSON (on camera): And with war still raging not far away in Ukraine commanders say this training feels much more real.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Two thirds of the 44 tanks involved in the exercise British challenger two tanks more like these also soon deploying to
Ukraine. Lessons learned here valuable for the Ukrainians, communications between the challenger and leopard tanks critical but no doubt use
correctly they could be a game changer.
MAJOR NICK BRIDGES, BRITISH ENHANCED FORWARD PRESENCE, ESTONIA: Both can do can fight at night and they've got hunter killer capabilities as well. So
they can engage a target while looking for the next target. So very much more advanced tanks advanced sighting systems, and then what they - would
have.
ROBERTSON (on camera): The Ukrainians say they want to use the leopard two tanks as an iron fist to punch through Russian lines give Putin a bloody
nose and snatch back territory.
ROBERTSON (voice over): They've lost the lesson here that won't happen overnight. Typically, Danes train individual leopard two operators in two
weeks, a crew of four in two months. But it can take two years to combine them into a force able to seize territory.
MAJOR RASMUS JENSEN, DANISH ARMY: You see it's the tactics, that takes time, then you have the theory as a crew, and then you have to learn to
drive as a crew within a platoon and within the squad from.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Estonia's Defense Minister, whose country spends a whopping 1 percent of GDP, supporting Ukraine watching the training, keen
to get the tanks to Ukraine soonest.
HANNO PEVKUR, ESTONIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: I really hope that it's not too late. I really hope because we all understand that there is a push from
Russians coming in a very, like coming months, or coming weeks even.
ROBERTSON (on camera): So is this a make or break moment in the next few months in this war?
PEVKUR: Probably so it's once again, when there will be no breakthrough in the coming weeks and months, then probably we will end or we will step into
the very long time of war.
ROBERTSON (voice over): This operation ongoing for another week as elsewhere, Ukrainian troops begin to get their hands on piece like these.
How quickly they can use them effectively, will impact well beyond Ukraine?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: And I'm just going to step out of the way here so you can see some of the refueling that's going on here. This is a leopard two tank. It
is getting refueled out in the field here that British challenger two tanks they've been able to come and get refueled.
The tanks here all heading off into the woods part of the exercise here to continue that they're going to be hiding out in the woods as French
commandos try to find them through the night. But the big takeaway from for the Ukrainians I think is that you have to have the big logistical supply
and support you have to have the mobile fuel vehicles.
The engineering teams as well need to be available to these tank commanders. We talked to a British tank officer here who said his teams if
one of their challenger two tanks breaks down, they can literally change out the whole engine and gearbox in about a space of about an hour.
That's vital to keep this heavy armor in battle engaged in the fight. So again, this is all skills and equipment that the Ukrainian forces are going
to need to get. But the fact that they've started the training is significant but a concern of the Estonian Defense Minister there very
clear. If the Ukrainians cannot make gains this year than the war stutters into an ongoing drawn out protected trench warfare potentially.
[09:50:00]
ROBERTSON: And during that time, the support from allied nations to Ukraine, there's a real danger that can begin to fall away. So the pressure
is really on, get the tanks into the hands of Ukrainians and get them properly trained to use them effectively.
SOLOMON: That's a great point Nic. But both the equipment and the personnel necessary thank you, Nic, Nic Robertson there! And the global energy sector
adjusting to a new round of Western sanctions against Russia for its war on Ukraine the U.S. and other G7 nations placing new restrictions on refined
petroleum products from Russia that includes diesel and jet fuel. Previous sanctions, however, have done little to change Russia's behavior in the
war. Clare Sebastian has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is likely one of the last shipments of Russian diesel to Europe. 40,000 tones arriving in
northern Germany last month. Russian diesel imports to the EU hit a record in December as the continent race to build up supplies.
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION: And we have put in place the strongest sanctions ever.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Three months after an EU embargo on seaborne crude oil from Russia, along with a price cap mechanism designed to allow non-EU
countries to keep buying it under a certain price. The same thing is now happening with refined oil products. In Russia's case the biggest diesel
fuel oil and - a product widely used in making plastics.
JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: The aim is to stabilize global energy prices and reduce Russian revenues.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): In terms of that first goal so far, so good. Crude oil prices have not shut up since those December sanctions.
SEBASTIAN (on camera): This may be harder though with oil products take diesel for example. Now Russia is one of the world's biggest exporters of
diesel and last year 63 percent of those exports went to EU countries according to Kaplan.
Now when it comes to crude oil Russia has been selling a lot of barrels that used to go to Europe to India and China. The problem though, with
diesel and other oil products, is that China and India are big exporters in themselves.
RICHARD BRONZE, ENERGY ASPECTS: So Russia has to look elsewhere. Places like Africa, parts of the Middle East will be able to absorb some Russian
diesel some Russian oil products. But not the kind of volumes that Europe has traditionally taken. Russia will have to and is already having to offer
big discounts to try and find those buyers and to cover the additional costs of cargoes moving much longer distances.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Diesel prices, including Russian diesel have fallen slightly since their summer peaks, partly because of those Russian
discounts. Experts say the price of non-Russian diesel will likely rise though, over the next few months as current stocks run out. And Chinese
demand rises making the market much more competitive.
SEBASTIAN (on camera): And what about that second goal?
YELLEN: Reduce Russian revenues.
BRONZE: I think overall this will hurt Russia. I think it'll be selling less. And I think it'll have to offer really heavy discounts. But the more
those global prices go up, the more revenue it will still be securing.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): It will take several months experts to tell if this delicate operation has worked trying to punish a top energy producer and
refiner without causing a painful ripple effect through global markets, Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: And stay with CNN more to come after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:55:00]
SOLOMON: And the sun is just about to set in the region of Turkey and Syria hit by a powerful earthquake more than 12 hours ago. That means that rescue
workers will have to soar through the rubble in the cold and dark looking for anyone who may have survived the 7.8 magnitude quake and the many
aftershocks.
And now international support is ramping up as the death toll has been steadily climbing and stands at least 2000 right now across the two
countries. Buildings and homes came crashing down on people while they slept. And that is it for the show. We have much more continuing coverage
with "Connect the World" coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:00]
END
