Türkiye sends 8th aid ship to Gaza

By Serkan Avci

MERSIN, Türkiye (AA) - A humanitarian aid ship, carrying 2,960 tons of aid destined for Gaza, has sailed from Mersin International Port.

In collaboration between Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and General Directorate of Foundations, this marks the 8th humanitarian aid ship, comprising 125,000 food packages for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip loaded onto the vessel SARDES.

Speaking at the farewell ceremony held at the port, Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan emphasized the significance of the port hosting aid ships alongside its commercial activities.

The governor stressed the contributions of not only institutions but also civil society organizations and citizens in preparing the aid, saying: "We are all aware of the oppression and suffering in Gaza. Our esteemed nation, with the highest sense of solidarity and cooperation, is showing the necessary sensitivity toward Gaza."

- 'All government agencies mobilize their resources'

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Serdar Cam also expressed Türkiye's continuous support to the Palestinian cause.

Cam underscored that the Turkish people are mobilizing their resources for Gaza, adding: "The Republic of Türkiye has always been a haven and a door for the oppressed and victims with its accumulated history.

"Today, all government agencies are mobilizing their resources. A cease-fire seems to be in place for now, but this is a huge tragedy on earth."

He further stressed that "the first priority is a cease-fire. Albeit belatedly, this process has begun in the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. However, major efforts must be exerted to address actual troubles in the upcoming period."

"Not just Türkiye, but the entire world must mobilize for this."

- 13 aircraft, 7 ships carrying aid sent to Gaza

AFAD's President Okay Memis noted that 13 aircraft and seven ships carrying humanitarian aid materials have been delivered to Gaza.

Memis announced that with the support of the General Directorate of Foundations, they will send off the 8th ship to Gaza, saying: "So far, we have sent 39,607 tons of humanitarian aid materials, 1,151 generators, 214 tons of hygiene supplies, eight field hospitals, 53 ambulances, 242 tons of medical supplies, two UMKE (Turkish National Medical Rescue Team) vehicles, clothing, shelter materials, and drinking water.

"We are delivering drinking water both from Türkiye and through our agreement with the Egyptian Red Crescent, where AFAD sends five to 10 trucks of water every week," he stressed.

Underlining that Türkiye has constantly been striving to deliver humanitarian aid, from El-Arish and Rafah Border Crossing to Gaza, Memis added: "Around 1,500 Palestinian brothers and sisters have been brought to our country for health-related treatments from Gaza. We are working diligently with our Ministry of Health to meet all their needs."

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian enclave since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,500 Palestinians have since been killed and over 74,900 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war, now in its 174th day, has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

* Writing by Serdar Dincel from Istanbul.