On the BBC, they’ve showed a team of Ukrainians helping to dig people out of buildings.
Russia has also sent some responders, so it is quite an interesting situation for Turkey - NATO, Russia and Ukraine are all pitching in.
Domestically, I’d imagine Assad is going to have his hands full for some time because of this disaster. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out geopolitically.
Putin has never been one to care much about the positive optics of putting Russkyi Mir at the forefront of humanitarian efforts even with his closest allies. The last time his government had an opportunity to do it, one moron said publicly “all our hopes lie in the famine”. Best hope that nobody in Turkey remembers that when food/water shortages start to hit the affected areas of Turkey.
NATO is far more likely to play the “hearts and minds” angle, as they’re hoping Assad will drop the idea of vetoing Sweden or Finland joining the organisation on the basis that he needs a far more immediate PR boost.
If Assad has his priorities right, the order of business will be: getting people out alive (especially if there are aftershocks), sorting out temporary accommodation, and then coming up with an earthquake-resistent reconstruction plan.
Are you confusing Erdowon and Turkey with Assad and Syria? Turkey is the NATO member with the right to deny Sweden and Finland membership. The worst damage in Turkey is in the south where Erdowon’s strongest opposition lives. With elections coming in May, there will be a lot of politics mixed with the whole rescue and recovery effort.
Assad is the Syrian dictator with Russia as an ally and making use of its warm water port facilities. The worst Syrian damage is in the Idlib area and the north where the ramaining rebels have been defying Assad and suffering for years. I doubt Assad will have much of a rescue and reconstruction plan for the area where his enemies have been concentrated.