Tribune News Network
Doha
Turkish Airlines continues its efforts to mend the wounds of those affected by the devastating earthquake centred on Kahramanmaraş and affecting surrounding cities of Kilis, Diyarbakır, Adana, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Malatya, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman and Hatay, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
Coordinating with all official organisations such as Turkish Red Crescent, the Turkish flag carrier ensured all search and rescue teams along with aid materials were delivered to affected areas quickly by conducting aid flights, while evacuating those affected with evacuation flights without any charges. Turkish Airlines carried 238,112 search-and-rescue personnel with its 1,324 aid flights while evacuating230,980 citizens from the quake-hit areas with 1,302 evacuation flights.
Continuing its operations in coordination with AFAD and Türkiye missions, embassies and consulates abroad to deliver aid from Türkiye and abroad, Turkish Airlines carried 15,648 tonnes of aid material free of charge to the areas afflicted by the earthquake, mostly food, medicine, clothing, generators, hygiene kits, tents with 156 cargo flights. As much as 6,198 tonnes of the cargo were carried with flights conducted from 77 countries while the remaining 9,450 tonnes were from Türkiye.
Turkish Airlines’ 249 personnel volunteered in the area, assisting search and rescue operations and delivering humanitarian aid. Members of Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team of Turkish Airlines Flight Academy in Aydın also took place in the rescue operations in İskenderun.
Commenting on the aid efforts, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof Dr Ahmet Bolat stated: “With the responsibility of being the national flag carrier, we are working with all officials including AFAD to mend the wounds caused by the earthquake as the 75,000 strong Turkish Airlines family. Within that framework, we will be building a Turkish Airlines neighbourhood in the region with 1,000 homes for those affected by the earthquake. We will also employ 1,000from 1,000 families affected by the earthquake in the Turkish Airlines and its subsidiaries.
“Turkish Airlines also donated 2 billion TL while I personally donated my salary of March 2023 for immediate aid efforts. We also wish to extend our gratitude to our friends from abroad for their overwhelming support and aid in response to the crisis along with our missions, embassies and consulates for their coordination in order to deliver aid material from other countries to the affected region with our cargo flights. Our flag carrier will continue to be with our citizens in the future just like it has been with all of its capabilities.”
