Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams donated 4 tonnes of equipment to the AKUT Search and Rescue Association in Turkey, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
Representative to Turkey Volkan Huang (黃志揚), Huang Po-tsun (黃博村), head of the Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams, and five team members made the donation to AKUT director Tugay Yilmazberk on behalf of Taiwan, the ministry said in a statement.
Adam Mehmet Tanrisever, cofounder and emergency director of AKUT, attended the donation ceremony, saying that he “deeply feels the goodwill and friendship of the people and government of Taiwan,” the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The National Fire Agency proposed the donation to Minister of the Interior Lin Yu-chang (林右昌), who reported it to Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and gained his support and approval, the agency said in a statement on Monday.
The equipment can help Turkey in post-disaster relief and reconstruction efforts, and help it prepare for potential earthquakes, the agency said.
With MOFA’s assistance, Taiwan and Turkey established a lasting friendship based on cooperation and mutual assistance mechanism in search-and-rescue efforts, it said.
AKUT, the first medium urban search-and-rescue team in Turkey to be certified by the UN’s International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, came to Taiwan to join the search-and-rescue operations after the 921 Earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999, it said.
The donated search, rescue and logistics equipment includes equipment to destruct and prop up collapsed buildings to free people who are trapped, tents and generators, as well as medical supplies, it said.
Separately, more than NT$490.64 million (US$16.24 million) in cash donations to Turkey were received as of Monday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a statement.
More than 100,000 donations had been made through a dedicated account set up by the ministry as of 5pm, it said.
People in Taiwan can make a donation at a bank or a post office in Taiwan to the Ministry of Health and Welfare disaster relief fund (衛生福利部賑災專戶) or at 7-Eleven ibon, FamilyMart FamiPort, Hi-Life Life-ET or OK Mart OK Go kiosks.
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