Turkish plane with 2nd batch of virus aid lands in US
WASHINGTON- Anadolu Agency
A Turkish military cargo plane carrying the second batch of medical supplies landed on May 1 in the U.S. to deliver aid to its NATO ally battling the coronavirus outbreak.
The plane touched down at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C.
The first shipment on April 29 brought 500,000 surgical masks, 4,000 overalls, 2,000 liters of disinfectant, 1,500 goggles, 400 N-95 masks, and 500 face shields.
The plane with mostly overalls, as well as disinfectant, goggles, and face shields, was met by Turkish ambassador Serdar Kılıç, Brig. Gen. Matthew C. Isler, the Director of Regional Affairs for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air
Force, and Kadircan Kottaş, the Turkish military attache.
Kılıç told reporters U.S. authorities welcomed Turkish help which he said would yield "positive" reflections in Turkish-American relations.
Prepared under the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the supplies carried a message for Americans: "After hopelessness, there is so much hope, and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun,” quoting the words of
13th-century scholar Jalaluddin Rumi.
Turkey has helped at least 57 countries, including Italy, Spain and the U.K., and remains the world's third-largest provider of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.
