Turkey offers earthquake aid to Iran

ANKARA, Feb 22 (AFP) - Turkey, which like its neighbour Iran has long experience of deadly earthquakes, on Tuesday offered to provide aid for a quake that killed at least 230 people in southeastern Iran.
The office of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had made the offer via the Iranian embassy in Ankara, but that Iranian diplomats had turned it down.
The prime minister's statement said that Turkish civil defence, rescue and emergency medical services were standing by to help if necessary.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 points on the Richter scale hit the Zarand region of southeastern Iran in the early hours of Tuesday, causing devastation in several villages.

02/22/2005 11:12 GMT - AFP