The story: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are mobilizing to send aid to Syria and Turkey following the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes. The dispatch of relief stands out given that the Syrian government has been largely isolated since the eruption of civil conflict in 2011. Similarly, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have in the wake of their normalization efforts with Turkey pledged humanitarian assistance.  

The statements: Bahrain’s Al-Watan news reported on Feb. 7 that the country’s shura council “expressed its deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to the two brotherly peoples in Syria and Turkey.” 

• The statement from Bahrain’s shura council also pledged an unspecified amount of support to relief efforts.

• The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) later reported that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express a “readiness to provide all help to confront the effects of the earthquake.”...