February 13 has been declared a day of mourning in honor of the victims of the earthquake in Turkey.

The news was announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama.

“The Albanian Government has decided that Monday, February 13, will be a NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING as a sign of pain and prayer for the victims of the great tragedy of the earthquake on the Turkish-Syrian border, as well as a sign of solidarity with our friend Turkey, which it was close by when a similar disaster hit Albania a while ago.

Lowering the national flag to half-mast and lighting a candle by everyone as desired and possible, will be the meaningful signs of a Monday marked by human pain and popular solidarity that transcend our borders”, writes Rama on Facebook.

A tragic earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning, causing over 22,000 deaths and thousands of injuries.

The epicenter of the earthquake was about 26 kilometers from the city of Nurdagi and about 33 kilometers from the city of Gaziantep, the US Geological Survey said.