Greek airports across the nation from Sparta to Athens, are busy loading aid from the Greek government for earthquake devastated parts of Turkey.
Greece is sending thousands of tents, beds and blankets to assist the hundreds of thousands of people left homeless by deadly earthquakes in Turkey.
“We have brought medicines, medical supplies and essentials to relieve a bit the pain of quake-afflicted people,” said Greek Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides, who escorted the aid to Adana. “It’s time we all show our feelings of humanism.”
Hostilities between Greece and Turkey are decades old and are over a range of issues, from territorial rights in the Aegean Sea to Turkish Occupied Cyprus. Tension had rekindled recently as a bellicose Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ramped up threats against Greece.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan last Monday to offer his condolences over the lives lost.
Arriving at an EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Mitsotakis said that Greece would lead an EU-wide initiative to host a donor conference in Brussels, looking to secure additional funds and help rebuild quake-devasted areas.
In addition, 36 Greek rescue workers with dogs, doctors and engineers have been operating in Turkey since the start of the disaster.
Greek teams have pulled out five survivors from the rubble in the Turkish town of Hatay, among thousands still buried under collapsed buildings.
Local authorities across Greece are also organising drives to collect basic necessities to be sent to the Turkish people.
Greece will provide a total of 80 tonnes of assistance such as blankets, beds, tents and medical supplies, its civil protection ministry said.
Commercial flights carrying boxes with part of the aid landed at the Turkish airport of Adana early on Thursday, with the operation expected to conclude by Friday.
