ANKARA - State Minister Mehmet Aydýn said on Tuesday that Turkey had historical relations with Georgian nation, adding that ''we send aid to a friendly country.''
Turkey sent 1,560 tons of food stuff to Georgia worth of 1 million U.S. dollars the same day.
State Minister Aydin, Georgian Ambassador to Turkey Tariel Lebanitze, Emergency Management Director General Hasan Ipik, Red Crescent's Chairman Ertan Gonen and other officials attended the ceremony held the same day for sending the aid.
Addressing the ceremony, State Minister Aydin said that Georgian nation was in a difficult situation economically and the aid was sent due to that reason.
Noting that Turkey pursued a peaceful, but a very active policy with its neighbours, Aydin said that Turkey opened its doors to the whole world particularly in the last one year.
''Today the president of a neighbouring country Syria visits our country. A very serious earthquake took place in Iran and we were one of the countries which firstly went to the region to take part in search and rescue efforts. We are here today to share part of our wealth with Georgia. This is a humanitarian mission,'' Aydin said.
Georgian Ambassador Tariel Lebanitze expressed his pleasure over the aid in Turkish. He noted that Turkey helped Georgia significantly after the latter gained its independence, adding that there were certain difficulties due to the transition period in his country after the elections. This aid would strengthen the friendship between the two countries, Lebanitze said.
(ÖÞ-AÖ) 06.01.2004