The German government has promised on Friday new deliveries of aid for those affected by the earthquakes registered on Monday in the south of the country, near the border with Syria, which has left more than 21,000 dead in both countries, according to the latest balance sheets.
«We stand by Turkey,» German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said during an event at the Wunstorf military airport near Hanover, together with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
From Wunstorf, German Air Force transport planes are carrying tons of humanitarian aid to Turkey to help those affected by the earthquakes, according to the German news agency DPA.
In this sense, Pistorius has stressed that these flights will take place «for as long as necessary». «This will continue over the next few days,» he added.
On Thursday three A400M aircraft flew to Turkey with about 50 tons of material, while the German Defense Minister has advanced that there will be three more flights this Friday, with a total of about 40 tons of aid.
Pistorius said that tents, beds, sleeping bags, blankets, heaters and generators are the main items being transported, before stressing that the German Armed Forces are making their contribution «reliably, quickly and without bureaucracy».
For the time being, the flights will be directed to the NATO air base at Incirlik. Originally, the supplies were to be transported to Gaziantep, which is closer to the center of the earthquake, but this is not being done due to capacity problems.
Both Faeser and Pistorius have expressed dismay at the scale of the disaster. «We are deeply shocked by the images coming out of Turkey and Syria,» they said.
The Interior Minister thanked the rescue teams in the earthquake zone and was «deeply moved» by the German population’s willingness to help, «especially also people of Turkish or Syrian origin».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
