Big Thank you from Pakistan

[pak2000]

May we sincerely thank the great Turkish nation for the heartfelt support and donations for the earthquake victims.
Long live Turkey and Pakistan.

[icy]

I hope you guys recover very fast.

[Istanbullu]

I am sure you guys will recover fast! :)

All the best for Pakistan! :)

[CPN]

get well soon guys

[Aziz M]

Yesterday, 10:55 PM

SyedA
Administrator

Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,059

Re: BREAKING NEWS: Earthquake in Pakistan
Bravo the Turks!

Comment/Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad

On October 8 morning, as soon as the Turkish authorities learned about the intensity of the earthquake in Pakistan, they started loading four planes at airports in Ankara and Istanbul with rescue and relief supplies and teams. For Turkey has had enough of its shares of earthquakes, the deadliest thus far happening in 1999, and the authorities there can understand the scale of the disaster the moment they learn about its intensity on the Richter Scale.

With Pakistanis, the Turks have this fascination rooted primarily in the first three decades of the twentieth century, especially the 1920s, when the Muslims of the Subcontinent stood by the Turkish nation in its war of Istiklal and provided the direly needed moral, diplomatic and material support. Just as in Pakistan, the widely held notion among the Turkish people is that Pakistanis are their only true friends in the world.

No surprise that on every Friday following the Pakistani tragedy all mosques across Turkey have been appealing to the people to donate in the Pakistani relief effort. In fact, on the first Friday following the earthquake, Adem Aker, one of my former Turkish students, informed me that he had just returned from the Friday prayer, and the entire Khutba of the Mevlana leading the prayer was about how the Turkish people can help their Pakistani brethren in times of need. I have seen editorial comments recalling the days when Muslims of the Subcontinent had come to the aid of the Turks, and arguing that this the time for us to return this kindness and help Pakistanis overcome this tragedy.

Let me come back to the four planes, which started to be loaded with relief supplies as soon as the earthquake happened in Pakistan on October 8. It is saddening to note here that even those planes were loaded with relief supplies within a couple of hours of the earthquake, they could take off from the airports some 15 to 18 hours later. The reason: The Iranian authorities did not give permission to use Iranian airspace to the Turkish planes. Upon this, the entire October 8, Turkey’s vibrant private TV networks continued to criticize the Iranian government for its indifferent attitude.

Leaving aside this unfortunate delay for the Turkish relief supplies to reach Pakistan, the Turkish help to Pakistan has been amazing. The country’s financial commitment to Pakistan for earthquake relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction is the largest—standing at 150 million US dollars in cash. When the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan visited Pakistan last week, he personally delivered $50 million to his Pakistani counterpart. Out of $150, $100 million will be paid in cash and $50 million in shape of humanitarian aid.

The Pakistani media has already widely reported the extensive Turkish help in the aftermath of the tragedy. As of October 28, Turkey’s humanitarian contributed to Pakistan included the dispatch of 15 military and 3 civilian aircrafts containing search and rescue (SAR), medical, Red Crescent personnel and humanitarian aid to the friendly and brotherly Pakistan after the earthquake. The humanitarian aid sent so far contained medicines, vaccination, medical equipments, tents, canvas, camping material, blankets, sleeping bags, oven and a cooking team, food, plenty of bakery and sweet.

Turkish rescue and relief teams were the first to each the disaster-stricken regions. Its search and rescue teams as well as NGOs reached Muzaffarabad and started their rescue operation. Natural Disaster Search and Rescue Teams from the Turkish Armed Forces’ Special Forces Command (22 persons), Civil Defence General Directorate (22 persons), GEA Search and Rescue Association (12 persons), AKUT and LIDAM (15 persons) comprising 71 persons continued their activities in Muzaffarabad and rescued 9 lives from the rubbles. These search and rescue teams went back to Turkey on 22-23 October.

Turkish medical team has established one field hospital for 50 persons and by today they have vaccinated around 30,000 people as well as provided first aid to 5000 people. There is 22 members medical team and 66 members Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) team continuing activities in Muzaffarabad area. TRC team has provided aid to more than 75,000 people. TRC is establishing tent villages in Muzaffarabad providing shelter to around 70,000 people.

During his visit, the Turkish Prime Minister assured the Government of Pakistan of extending his country’s expertise in the reconstruction of earthquake-proof infrastructure. In this regard, a team of experts would soon come to Pakistan and visit stricken areas to access the kind of expertise required in reconstructing schools, hospitals, houses, roads and government buildings on modern lines.

In order to continue the humanitarian aid to the earthquake stricken people of Pakistan, the Turkish Government will be sending 38 (thirty six) more C-130 military aircrafts to Pakistan between 28 October -20 November 2005. Within this framework, the Turkish Government will be sending one million blankets, 50,000 tons of flour, 25,000 tons of sugar, 2 million bottles of 1 litter cooking oil and tents as first phase.

The General Directorate of Turkish Emergency Management Agency, Turkish Red Crescent Association, Education Ministry and Department of Religious Affairs have collected through fund raising around $ 52 million by 24th October 2005. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which is sending humanitarian aid to Pakistan through their depot in Iskenderum, Turkey.

The Turkish Government has taken the responsibility of land transportation of their total weight of the humanitarian aid of 860 tons which includes 103,675 pieces of blankets, 9915 pieces of tents and 2000 pieces of stoves from Iskenderum to Incirlik airbase. NATO aircrafts are carrying this humanitarian aid from Incirlik to Islamabad. Turkey also provides 2 military aircrafts for the transportation of the aforementioned humanitarian aid to Pakistan. The Turkish government has also provided some $ 3 million to UN relief and rehabilitation agencies—such as UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, WFP and UNHCR. In addition, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad is planning to establish a kindergarten or a primary school in the earthquake affected areas on permanent basis and for this purpose funds are being collected at the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Moreover, all banks in Turkey have opened accounts for collecting financial aid. Turkish Red Crescent has signed an agreement with the 3 major Turkish GMS service providers in order to collect donations through SMS messages for the earthquake victims. Turkish Airlines, Ankara, Istanbul, Kocaeli and Konya Municipalities, Human Rights and Foundation for the Human Freedom Assistance, Baºkent University and Deniz Feneri Assistance and Solidarity Association are also sending extensive humanitarian aid to Pakistan.

Human Rights and Human Assistance Foundation are continuing their assistance by running one mobile hospital and one mobile restaurant. Baºkent University has sent humanitarian aid in shape of medicines around $150,000 for the earthquake affected people. Deniz Feneri Assistance and Solidarity Association have given around $500,000 assistance and they will be providing tunnel type tent for the accommodation of 100 families, 200 prefabricated houses, cloths, food and medicines. Turkish Airlines has also decided to send 40 tons of humanitarian aid.

The Ankara Municipality has announced $1 million cash assistance and 1 million blankets. Whereas, Istanbul Municipality will be establishing 2 ovens in Muzaffarabad having the capacity to cook 10 –11 thousand breads per day which will be distributed among the affected people free of cost. The provision of such kind of assistance by the organizations and community foundations is expected to grow.

Just looking at all of the above figures, one cannot help but thank the Turkish for their kind help in our utmost need of hour. We, Pakistanis, shall never forget this kind Turkish gesture of a long-lasting friendship and deep rooted feeling of brotherhood. I know, for sure, that as situation comes back to normal in Pakistan, its relations with Turkey are never going to be the same again. The two countries have already been increasingly cooperating in manifold fields—the only problem has been the lack of substantive progress, especially in areas of economic and trade cooperation. Such snags in ties should be done away with, for the two countries should be realistically as close to each other during normal times as they get inter-twined during a tragedy.

Aziz

[oogabooga]

Absolutely amazing! I didnt even realize the scale of assistance provided by Turkey until I read this! I feel like hugging a turk! :hug: I donot have words with which to express my profound admiration for the Turkish people and their generosity!

Mere words are not enough to express my feelings right now but nonetheless, Thankyou! Thankyou for your help in our time of crisis, we shall never forget this.

I gots to go find me a Turk to hug :tongue3: (preferably a girl ;) )

[Shodan]

Turkey and Pakistan need to closely cooperate with Japan on the earthquake matter, I hope that both countries will realize this soon.