According to a statement from the diplomatic mission, the embassy has asked callers to provide their own names and phone numbers in addition to those of the people they are looking for and the cities where they live. Copies of identification and passports would be helpful.

This information, which could be provided via email or WhatsApp, will allow the embassy's crisis cell to communicate with the Turkish authorities in this regard, the same source said.

The cities affected by the earthquakes are Kahramanmaraş, Adana, Adıyaman, Hatay, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Kilis and Osmaniye.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Ankara announces that it can be reached at the following landline numbers: 00903124376020 and 00903124376021.

The diplomatic mission can also be reached via cell phone and WhatsApp at 00905346871318, 00905550372743, 00905349205305 or via email at ambassademarocankara@gmail.com/ marocamb.ankara@maec.gov.ma.

The preliminary death toll from the earthquake is 1,541 with more than 9,500 injured, according to the Turkish government's disaster management agency (AFAD).

"2022 marks a milestone for Morocco-Germany economic cooperation, which is now taking on a new dimension," the AHK Morocco said in a statement.

"Thus, total German-Moroccan bilateral trade reached 4.9 billion euros in 2022, placing the Kingdom 57th in the global ranking of Germany's economic partners, ahead of Tunisia (58th) and Algeria (62nd)," the AHK Morocco said in a statement.

For this "record year that puts all indicators in the green to start the year 2023 under the best auspices," German exports to Morocco have reached 2.8 billion, up 30% compared to 2021, said the same source, noting that this is a considerable progress, among the strongest compared to other countries.

This remarkable result is also supported by a robust increase in Moroccan exports to Germany, up 32% compared to 2021, equivalent to a value of 2.1 billion euros.

"German-Moroccan economic relations remain on the fast track. The trade figures for 2022 clearly show that this growing interest is increasingly reflected in the realization of agreements and projects that generate benefits for both partners," said AHK Morocco Director General Andreas Wenzel, as quoted in the release.

He further explained that "even if a large part of the increase in world trade in 2022 is due to inflation [14.6% for German exports and 26.3% for German imports], our trade relations are growing significantly, with more than 30% in both directions."

"In the ranking of Germany's most important export markets, Indonesia and Vietnam are in the top 50, ahead of Morocco. There is still a lot to do, but if the momentum continues, it is not unrealistic to consider being in the top 50 as early as 2023," he added.

"I express our satisfaction with the summit and the meeting held last week in Morocco," stressed PSOE spokeswoman and Minister of Education and Training, Pilar Alegría, in a statement to the press.

The high-level meeting confirmed the "good relations between Spain and Morocco" and allowed the adoption of twenty "extremely important" agreements, said Alegría, stressing the "fundamental importance" for Spain and all European countries to continue working in "coordination" with Morocco.

The 12th session of the Morocco-Spain HLM, co-chaired by the Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and the Spanish Government President Pedro Sánchez, was sanctioned by a joint declaration in which both parties expressed their commitment to maintain the relations of excellence that have always linked them and reaffirmed their willingness to enrich them in a lasting way.

On this occasion, the two parties signed several cooperation agreements in areas such as migration management, tourism, infrastructure, water resources, the environment, agriculture, professional training, social security, transportation, health security, and research and development.

A total of 24,920,242 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,421,513, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,876,933 people have received the third dose of the vaccine, while 59,973 people have got the fourth shot.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,272,281, while recoveries increased to 1,255,925, i.e. a recovery rate of 98.7%.

The new COVID-19 cases was recorded in the region of Rabat-Salé-Kenitra.

 As for coronavirus-related fatalities, their number remained at 16,296, with no case recorded in the last 24 hours. 

The number of active cases stands at 60, with no severe or critical case reported in the past 24 hours.

"At the moment, the death toll is 1014. Some 2,824 buildings collapsed," Sezer told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said that a 7.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Kahramanmaras province at 01:17 GMT.

Later, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said that it recorded another quake of 7.8 magnitude in central part of Turkey at 10:24 GMT.

Speaking at the exhibition "Moroccan Sahara: a thousand-year-old archaeological heritage" and the forum on "the scientific value of tangible and intangible heritage in the Moroccan Sahara", Bensaid said that archaeological research has revealed the succession of ancient civilizations in this region of the Kingdom, dating back to the era of the Lower Paleolithic or what is called the Acheulean period.

He added that this period was characterized by the use of distinctive stone tools, such as stone axes that were discovered in Aousserd at "Kourcia", "Boulariah" and other sites in the basin of Smara, especially Oued "Essafa", "Aasli", "Boukerch" and "Larchiouat".

The minister recalled that the Moroccan Sahara has experienced intense activities of Homo sapiens, especially during the Middle Paleolithic period, characterized by the use of foliated points for hunting, in addition to the multiplicity of archaeological sites dating back to the era known as "Aterian," which is also characterized by the precision in the manufacture of stone tools, as well as the modern eras of prehistory in Morocco.

He noted that the Neolithic sites, dating back about 4,000 years, revealed the use by human beings of distinctive techniques in the manufacture and decoration of pottery specific to the Moroccan Sahara as a cultural identity, as well as methods of domestication of animals and manufacture of precise foliate points called "Saharan foliate points".

According to a statement by the Department of the Head of Government on Monday, the Council will examine at the beginning of its proceedings three draft decrees, the first supplementing the decree on the appointment to senior positions in the administration of the regions and salaries and allowances.

The second draft is related to the delegation of power and signature, while the third sets the rules and procedures for organizing competitions for access to the civil service, said the statement.

The Council will then consider the Revised Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab States, adopted on February 2, 2022 in Paris and signed by the Kingdom of Morocco on the same day, with a draft law approving the convention concerned.

In addition, the Council will consider proposals for appointments to senior positions, in accordance with the provisions of Article 92 of the Constitution, according to the same source.

A statement by the diplomatic representation said that "the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Ankara informs members of the Moroccan community residing in the Republic of Turkey that it provides them with e-mail addresses and telephone numbers to communicate with members of the embassy".

The embassy can be contacted via the following telephone numbers: 00903124376020, 00903124376021, 00905346871318, 00905550372743, 00905349205305.

Or through the following emails: ambassademarocankara@gmail.com/ marocamb.ankara@maec.gov.ma.

The embassy said it learned with great sadness the reports of many deaths and injuries in the deadly earthquake that hit southern Turkey, offering its deepest condolences to the Republic of Turkey, the presidency, the government and the people, as well as to the families of the victims, according to the statement.

Morocco will also be in total solidarity with this brotherly country and its people in the choices they will make, said Bourita who took part, by video conference, in the 1137th session of the ministerial meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), on the review of the situation in Sudan.

He also reaffirmed the Kingdom's solidarity with brotherly Sudan and reiterated its unwavering support for its security and stability, as well as its national unity and territorial integrity.

Describing this meeting as an "event to support Sudan", the Minister said that "we are not here to judge, we are here to help. It is an obvious fact, perhaps, but an important one to remember".

This is a new and hopeful phase, which began with the signing of the "political framework Agreement" of December 5, 2022, and the commitment of the parties, since January 8, in talks for an orderly transition, he noted, adding that the political process is relaunched with, this time, real prospects for stabilization of democratic institutions.

Welcoming these important developments, Bourita paid tribute to all Sudanese stakeholders (incumbent leaders, political parties, unions and associations) for making this possible.

The minister also commended the efforts of the UN, AU, and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), whose role is critical in facilitating a credible and inclusive political process, saying that continued trilateral engagement is crucial to preserving the December 5 agreement and helping Sudan overcome its political and economic challenges.

"It is now, when the goal is within reach, that the stakeholders are, more than ever, faced with their historic responsibility: that of taking the side of dialogue and of the supreme interest of the Nation", he added, noting that "to be a certain qualitative step, the December 5 Agreement is neither an end in itself, nor the end of the road".

In this regard, Bourita called on all parties to overcome the divisions and be prepared to make the necessary political compromises, noting that to be sustainable, the understandings should be inclusive in their content and their protagonists.

"The dismantling of the remnants of the past should be reflected in the consolidation of strong and independent democratic institutions, able to ensure transparency and accountability," he stressed, saying that economic reforms are "the other leg" of the political process.

Sudan's efforts to accelerate the adoption of a national economic recovery Plan should be accompanied by active support from the international community, Bourita said.

"The crisis in Sudan has gone on too long. Although much remains to be done, the direction taken by Sudan is promising," he said, before concluding that there is real hope that this brotherly country will regain its stability in the long term as well as its place in the pan-African institutional family without further delay.

This meeting, which will be held at the headquarters of MAP in Rabat starting at 9:00 a.m., will be an opportunity to focus on the role of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency in preserving the legal status and the civilizational, historical and religious identity of the Holy City.

It will also address the importance of the economic and social projects implemented by the Agency for the benefit of the residents of Al-Quds to improve their living conditions and the development of their city.

The forum will be broadcast live on M24 and RIM Radio, MAP's 24-hour news channel and news radio, as well as on MAP-Live, the agency's website "mapexpress.ma" and its Facebook account.

The MAP Forum has become a space for debate on current political, economic, cultural and social issues. It brings together government officials and personalities from various backgrounds, as well as members of the media.