Erdoğan assures Trump Turkey will show all kinds of solidarity as reliable, strong ally

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sent a letter to his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, along with the medical aid Turkey delivered.

The Turkish president said he hoped Turkey’s medical aid sent to the U.S. will help citizens recover from COVID-19.

“You can be sure, as a reliable and strong partner of the U.S., we will continue to demonstrate solidarity in every way possible in meeting the present needs required for the struggle against this pandemic as well as during the upcoming recovery phase,” Erdoğan said in the letter.

In addition to the critical supplies whose export to the U.S. we previously granted, Erdoğan recalled that Turkey also sent a cargo of medical supplies urgently needed by the American people via a Turkish Air Force aircraft on April 28. “I hope that this humble assistance will assist your fight against this pandemic and contribute to the speedy recovery of your citizens who contracted this virus,” the president stated.

“You are well aware that I attach great importance to our cooperation against the challenges faced in our countries and the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. I trust that we will defeat COVID-19 through our joint efforts, and I believe that we will advance towards the future in the field of public health in a much stronger way with the lessons we learn and the new capabilities we develop while combating this global crisis,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan said he follows the determined struggle of Trump to control the pandemic in the U.S.“I am very pleased to observe that, thanks to your measures, America has taken the first steps towards normalization by achieving a downward trend in the number of new cases,” he said. Erdoğan said he has no doubt that the American people will demonstrate the necessary resilience to leave this crisis behind as soon as possible.

The positive atmosphere created by this cooperation, which has strengthened and diversified in response to the pandemic, will help to advance Turkish-American bilateral relations and to effectively realize the potential of the countries, especially the two countries’ trade target of $100 billion, said the president.

He also said that he hopes the U.S. Congress and media understand the strategic importance of bilateral relations and common struggle better.

“Recent developments in our region, particularly in Syria and Libya, have once again demonstrated the importance of upholding the Turkish-U.S. alliance and cooperation at full strength. I hope that in the upcoming period, with the spirit of solidarity we have displayed during the pandemic, Congress and the U.S. media will better understand the strategic importance of our relations and act in a way that our common fight against our common problems necessitates."

Erdoğan offered condolences to the “friendly and allied” American people, especially the citizens who lost their relatives due to COVID-19.

The A400M military cargo plane carrying medical aid touched down at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C. on April 28 afternoon.

The shipment includes 500,000 surgical masks, 4,000 overalls, 2,000 liters of disinfectant, 1,500 goggles, 400 N95 masks and 500 face shields, according to the Turkish Presidency.

Prepared under the instructions of Erdoğan, the boxes containing the medical aid carried a message for the people of the U.S:

"After hopelessness, there is so much hope, and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun,” it said, quoting the words of 13th-century scholar Jalaluddin Rumi.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Turkey on April 28 for sending medical aid to the country amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Hours after a Turkish military plane landed in the U.S. with medical supplies to help Washington combat the disease, Pompeo said on Twitter that NATO allies must stand together during the pandemic.

“We thank Turkey for their generous donation of medical supplies and protective equipment to help U.S. fight #COVID19 in our hardest hit areas,” said Pompeo. “Americans are grateful for your friendship, partnership and support.”

Top NATO diplomat Kay Bailey Hutchison also thanked Turkey on April 28 for delivering medical supplies to the United States.

The U.S. permanent representative to NATO said on Twitter that "NATO solidarity during this pandemic highlights the strength of our transatlantic bond.”

Appearing in a photo with Turkey's permanent representative to NATO Basat Öztürk, Hutchinson added: "A very big thank you to the people of Turkey."

Turkey has helped at least 55 countries, including Italy, Spain and the U.K., and remains the world's third-largest provider of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.