ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu hosted on Monday a charity dinner in capital Ankara to raise funds to help victims of Pakistan's worst ever flood which left millions homeless.
The charity event collected 600 thousand Turkish liras (414 thousand USD) to be donated to Pakistan in addition to a separate aid campaign launched by the Turkish Foreign Ministry personnel who raised 2 million Turkish liras (1.38 million USD).
The Turkish foreign minister's wife, Sare Davutoglu - a medical doctor - donated 30 thousand Turkish liras and became a voluntary aid worker for two weeks in a hospital that would be built in Pakistan to be funded by Turkish Foreign Ministry's donations.
"Pakistan faces the worst natural disaster in its history. It is high time to show a true solidarity with our Pakistani brothers and sisters. We are determined to exert any effort to ease the suffering of the Pakistani people in their hard times," the foreign minister told the charity dinner.
Also attending the dinner, Pakistan's Ambassador in Ankara said his country was grateful for the solidarity and "generous donations" by the Turkish government and the Turkish people.
Engin Soysal, a senior Turkish diplomat who has been assigned as UN's Special Envoy for Pakistan, and Anadolu Agency Director General Dr Hilmi Bengi were among the guests in the charity event as well.