Shafaq News / The Iraqi embassy in Ankara expressed condolences to Turkey over the quake, stressing that it had not received any reports of injuries among Iraqis.

"The embassy expresses deepest condolences to the government and people of Turkey over the death and the injury of many people."

It also condoled the victims' families wishing for a speedy recovery for the injured.

The embassy confirms that it has not received any reports about the injury of Iraqi citizens due to the earthquake.

More than 1,600 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria, where two powerful earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks on Monday collapsed thousands of buildings and raised the specter of a new humanitarian disaster in a region already wracked by war, a refugee crisis and deep economic troubles.

The initial magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit at 4:17 a.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey, and was also felt in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon. A second, separate 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey about nine hours later on Monday afternoon, the U.S.G.S. said.