The ship “Med Star” arrived at the port of Tripoli, loaded with 46 trucks of foodstuffs, a gift from the Turkish government to the Lebanese security services. Its cargo will be delivered to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities.
During the reception of the ship, the Turkish Ambassador, Ali Barish Ulusoy, indicated that “the visit of the caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, to our country on February 1, 2022, at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has strengthened relations between Turkey and Lebanon in every sense of the word, and constituted an important occasion to intensify activities.” Turkey’s support to Lebanon in the difficult period it is going through.After this visit, our President instructed the Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management AFAD in the Ministry of Interior to send food aid to 43,700 members of the security institutions of the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities.In this context, we delivered 1036 tons of food aid to the Lebanese security institutions through 3 separate shipments in the past months.
He pointed out, “With the new shipment of 1,023 tons of aid that we are delivering today at the port of Tripoli, the total aid provided will be 2,059 tons for the benefit of members of the Lebanese security institutions for the year 2022. On the other hand, the assistance provided to the Lebanese army by our Ministry of National Defense continued this.” And the delivery of 80 tons of food aid and spare parts sent last April constituted a tangible indication of the importance that Turkey attaches to Lebanon’s security and stability. In addition to its security institutions, Turkey continued to support Lebanon in the field of health as well.
The Turkish ambassador stated, “In this context, Turkey donated regarding 90 tons of medicines and medical supplies to the Lebanese authorities last August and did not hesitate to respond to the request for medical supplies and medicines sent by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health to meet the urgent needs of public hospitals.”
He stated, “The Republic of Turkey has proven that it does not leave its Lebanese brothers alone in difficult times, not only through state institutions but also through non-governmental organizations. Last Ramadan, 1,000 tons of food aid and flour were delivered, which were sent as part of the “Ark of Charity” activity. “It was organized in coordination with the Disaster and Emergency Management and with the participation of 17 Turkish non-governmental organizations, to 50,000 families within 96 different distribution points throughout Lebanon.”
The Turkish ambassador indicated, “While Turkey continues to provide its humanitarian aid to Lebanon, it is also intensifying its support for technical assistance. In this context, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which provides Turkish support in the field of technical assistance in Lebanon, continues to meet the needs of the institutions.” The Lebanese state and its people. TIKA, which has implemented 185 projects in Lebanon since 2010, has completed 31 of these projects in 2022, projects related to social, cultural, agricultural development, energy, education, health and many others.
He stressed that “the well-being of Lebanon and its people, with whom we have deep-rooted historical, cultural and humanitarian ties, geography and a common destiny, is an important matter and a priority for Turkey and the Turkish people. The last aid shipment, amounting to 1023 tons, coming to Tripoli on board 43 trucks in the ship, is intended for members of the security institutions.” affiliated to the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, to alleviate the difficulties resulting from the difficult economic and financial conditions in Lebanon. As usual, without any compensation, it will be handed over to the Lebanese authorities without delay. Turkey has proven that it stands by the Lebanese friends and brothers in good times and bad. Turkey will continue to stand in solidarity with Lebanon”.
The Turkish ambassador stressed, “In order to distribute this large amount of aid coming from Turkey to people, institutions, and those in need quickly and without any obstacles, I would like to thank Major General Muhammad Khair and Mr. Ahmed Tamer, who cooperated closely with our embassy and showed us all kinds of assistance, and I would like to I renew our gratitude to the concerned Lebanese authorities.
For his part, the head of the High Commission for Relief, Major General Muhammad Khair, stressed that “we welcome the Turkish ambassador to Lebanon and the various representatives of the security services, and I convey to you the greetings of Prime Minister Najib Mikati to the Turkish people in view of the services and aid provided by Turkey to Lebanon, this aid that constitutes a moral element for all elements The security forces, and we affirm that we will not forget the aid they provide to the Lebanese army and the Lebanese people, especially the aid provided during the past two years, and we will not forget the medical aid that consisted of 17 counters loaded with medical equipment and medicines, which constituted an effective element in supporting the Ministry of Health and patients, especially patients with incurable diseases. .
He pointed out, “We always aspire for Turkish aid, which is a symbol of aggression and generosity, and this aid is not only for the city of Tripoli, but for the various Lebanese regions, especially in these conditions that the country is going through, and we know that you have become well versed in the suffering faced by the Lebanese people, so we always knock on your door to help us because we know You are a generous people, and the fraternal relationship that exists between the High Relief Commission, the TIKA Foundation and the Afaq Foundation is a twinning relationship, and we know that Turkey has gone through difficult circumstances that we hope it has passed through.
In turn, the Director General of Land and Maritime Transport, Ahmed Tamer, indicated that “Turkey’s choice of the port of Tripoli is an honor for us and means a lot. We also cooperated with the customs institutions in Turkey, which resulted in an increase in trade exchange, especially from the port of Tripoli. The Turkish ambassador was briefed on the volume of trade exchange, which amounted to more than 20,000 trucks annually, and this year we achieved mutual commercial success amounting to nearly 40%. %, and we are now, through the Aurora line, reaching new markets in Europe, and we can transport generators to Ukraine.”
He pointed out, “We thank the Turkish ambassador for all the submissions, and we thank all the companies that deal with this port and all the truck drivers who contributed to the success of this work, and we also thank everyone who contributed to activating this line and delivering this aid to the Lebanese security forces, especially Major General Khair and the trucking company and its owner, Mr. Muhammad Youssef.” .
