Turkish charity expands logistics in neighbor countries

By Kerem Kocalar

GAZIANTEP (AA) - The Turkish Red Crescent has been establishing regional logistics centers in neighboring countries to provide more rapid aid to disaster-hit areas, a top organization head said.

Operating in a wide area ranging from Central Asia to the Caucasus, the relief organization recently has been establishing stores to support the logistics in times of emergency, Deputy Director General Alper Kucuk told Anadolu Agency.

Kucuk said that the first store was set up in Bulgaria in cooperation with the Bulgarian Red Cross.

Some material that will serve 2,000 victims in case of emergency were stocked in the store, Kucuk added.

He also said similar facilities were established in Iraq and in Georgia.

“We are trying to expand [our efforts] further across the Balkans,” Kucuk said, citing potential natural disasters affecting the region.

“So, it is quite important to deliver our supplies in the Balkan region to the scene very quickly,” he stressed.

The Turkish Red Crescent also plans to set up logistics stores in Bosnia-and-Herzegovina and Croatia next year, Kucuk said.