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| October 22, 2005 | Saturday | Ramzan 17, 1426 |
Turkish PM urges use of resources for disaster relief
MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 21: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called upon the international community to divert more of its resources to humanitarian purposes instead of building weaponry.
“The world is spending its resources on armaments and my wish is that it should also put aside resources for such disasters,” he told journalists on the premises of Azad Jammu Kashmir Supreme Court building.
Mr Erdogan, who was accompanied by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, is the first foreign head of government to visit AJK metropolis which has been worst hit by the earthquake on October 8.
The Turkish premier said the world should prepare itself for disasters the way it did for the wars.
“We have to ask the world that how much share it has put for the victims of this disaster in Pakistan,” he said.
He pointed out with a sense of pride that Turkey was one of the first countries to send rescue teams after the disaster and was committed to long term help.
“We will not leave our Pakistani brethren and will continue to work on short and long term plans,” he said. “We have to fulfil our humanitarian duties from the short term to the long term, from infrastructure to housing,” he added.
He said technical experts who had come to Pakistan with him were currently working on projects that would help quake- stricken regions.
“We will prepare a roadmap to provide assistance to Pakistan.”
Speaking to journalists on the occasion, Prime Minister Aziz expressed gratitude for the visiting prime minister and his team, saying the people of Pakistan had been touched by the response of Turkey.
“I want to thank the prime minister and the people of Turkey for what they have done. The medical facilities, financial aid and material help (Turkey has provided) in a difficult period for Pakistan has shown us that Turkey and Pakistan have an everlasting friendship and we will stand with each other in our hour of need,” Mr Aziz said.
Earlier, both prime ministers visited the Turkish tent hospital and enquired about the condition of patients from quake-hit areas.
Maj-Gen Khalid Nawaz briefed Mr Erdogan on relief operations.
Later the two prime ministers flew into the southern Bagh district which has also been ravaged by the earthquake.
Turkish rescuers who had arrived here a day after the quake have won laurels as they retrieved several people alive from beneath the debris although their families had given up hopes of their survival.
Mr Erdogan on Thursday pledged $150 million in aid for the quake victims — $100 million in cash and $50 million in kind.
According to figures released by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, Turkey has become the biggest donor after Saudi Arabia which has provided $133.3 million dollars, followed by Kuwait with $100 million.
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