Turkey marks 17th anniversary of Indonesia tsunami

By Sefa Mutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey’s president on Sunday marked the 17th anniversary of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which hit the Aceh region of Indonesia in 2004.

“We mobilized every means available for Indonesia whenever they needed it. We showed this stance once again in concrete terms, especially right after the tsunami disaster that occurred in 2004,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video message to the "Global Aceh Diaspora."

Underlining that the Turkish nation was saddened by the incident, Erdogan said an aid campaign was organized for the tsunami-hit country.

He added that the government also provided support to the region while the Turkish Red Crescent and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) quickly sent their teams to the region and contributed to the reconstruction.

Reminding that he visited Indonesia in 2005, right after the disaster, he said he had the opportunity to observe the dimensions of the disaster in Banda Aceh, one of the most affected regions by the disaster.

“Turkey has sent over $75 million development aid to Indonesia. I would like you to make sure that we will continue this support as a requirement of our brotherhood and mutual affection,” he stressed.

He wished God's mercy upon those who lost their lives due to the tsunami.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar