Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has offered the assistance of rescue services to the Foreign Minister of Turkey following the two massive earthquakes that struck the country today, the President's Media Division said.

The request has been made on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Turkish media reported that over 1500 bodies had been recovered so far and over 6000 people were injured and rescuers were racing to pull survivors from beneath the rubble after a devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, leaving destruction and debris on each side of the border.

One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in a century shook residents from their beds at around 4 a.m. on Monday, sending tremors as far away as Lebanon and Israel.