Turkey sends aid team to quake-hit Japan
Saturday, March 12, 2011
ISTANBUL/ANKARA Agence France-Presse
The Turkish Red Crescent and Turkey's Search and Rescue Association, or AKUT, have sent a three-member team to earthquake-hit Japan on Friday.
Sinan Derindere and Gökhan Dilmaç of the Turkish Red Crescent and AKUT's Murat Harun Öngören departed for Tokyo onboard a Turkish Airlines passenger jet on Friday.
The three-member team will evaluate the situation in Japan and determine the materials urgently needed by the earthquake and tsunami victims.
The Turkish team was expected to reach Japan around noon Saturday.
Meanwhile, a five-member search and rescue team from the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or İHH, departed from Istanbul late Friday.
Turkish PM wishes speedy recovery
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered his condolences and wishes for a speed recovery to Japan on Friday.
Sending a message to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Erdoğan said that Turkey shared the pain of the Japanese people, and he offered his condolences to the relatives of the earthquake victims.
Erdoğan also said Turkey was ready to extend any type of assistance to Japan.
