Turkey sends 2nd batch of medical supplies to UK

A Turkish military cargo plane carrying second batch of medical supplies departed on Sunday for the UK in a bid to help the coronavirus combat.

“At the direction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s instructions, the second patch of medical aid that will be used to fight the COVID-19 virus have been sent to the UK today,” the Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Ankara is helping multiple states to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. So far it has sent aid to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, as well as Libya, Italy, and Spain, among others.

On Friday, the first batch of Turkish medical aid arrived in the UK, containing N95 face masks and protective suits. The medical aid supplies carried on them a message for the people of the UK, saying:

After hopelessness, there is so much hope and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun.
Rumi.

Read: Turkey delivers medical aid to UK to help fight virus

Wendy Morton, British MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for European Neighbourhood, thanked Turkey on Saturday for medical supplies sent to the UK – one of the worst-hit countries by the coronavirus.

“I want to express thanks to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca for 250,000 items of PPE for the NHS – 14 tonnes of which delivered to Royal Air Force Brize Norton yesterday. This generous gift demonstrates strength of friendship between Turkey and the UK” she said on Twitter.

The delivery of the aid was covered extensively in the foreign press and Turkey received thanks from British Twitter users.

“They did the same thing for Ireland in1845 in  the days of Great Famine. Well done Turkey,” said a user on the platform, referring to the Ottoman Empire’s aid to Ireland.

Health workers have complained about the lack of medical equipment in the UK and criticised the government as 19 health officials have died because of of COVID-19.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world. The pandemic has killed nearly 110,000 people and infected over 1.78 million, while almost 410,000 people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.

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