"Unfortunately, a number of victims is rising and now stands at 40,642 people," Sezer told a briefing.
On 6 February, south-eastern Turkiye and northern Syria were hit by a massive earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, followed by several powerful aftershocks and then another similar-scale earthquake, causing unimaginable devastation.
The earthquake and its aftershocks have caused destruction within 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the epicenter, and affected nearly 20 million people.
Turkish authorities have already described the earthquakes as the "biggest disaster" in the nation's history, as it nearly wiped out several cities.