Erdoğan vows Türkiye will keep extending helping hand worldwide

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to humanitarian aid worldwide, pledging to continue standing with people in need, particularly in Gaza, as more than 300 million people struggle without access to basic necessities.

Marking World Humanitarian Day in a post on X, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue setting an example on an issue that transcends politics, drawing strength from its history and deeply rooted civilizational values.

He said Türkiye remains the world’s leading provider of humanitarian assistance relative to its national income.

Erdoğan pointed to the plight of more than 300 million people deprived of their most basic needs and struggling to survive under difficult conditions, saying the scale of suffering presents a reality that calls on the entire international community to shoulder responsibility.

He stressed that coming to the aid of the oppressed, orphans, vulnerable and needy, and standing by those who have no one else, is a responsibility rooted in Türkiye’s religious and humanitarian values.

Erdoğan pledged that Türkiye would continue extending its “hand of compassion” wherever people are in need.

He added that Türkiye would continue supporting those in need across many parts of the world, particularly in Gaza, while offering hope to people facing oppression and hardship.

Through its state and non-state organizations and institutions Türkiye has been a leading international donor of humanitarian assistance. Turkish assistance has been delivered to across five continents through operations coordinated by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The assistance, including providing food, shelter, medical supplies, financial assistance and search and rescue equipment to regions affected by wars and natural disasters, has reached to more than 85 countries and communities worldwide.

Among these operations, Gaza has been the largest recipient of Turkish international humanitarian assistance, where AFAD has coordinated the delivery of 109,332 tons of aid through 14 aircraft and 21 ships following Israeli attacks on the enclave.

In addition, AFAD dispatched 25 “Kindness Trains” carrying 11,739 tons of humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan, alongside six cargo flights; in Sudan, six ships delivered 10,206 tons of aid and 30,000 tents, while Pakistan received 9,079 tons of humanitarian assistance. Additional shipments included 3,000 tons of aid to Somalia and 730 tons to Lebanon.

Nearly 15,000 humanitarian aid trucks have also crossed into Syria, making it one of Türkiye’s largest long-term relief operations.

More recent disaster response missions have included 30 tons of humanitarian aid sent to Venezuela following the powerful earthquakes that struck the country in June. The shipment, transported aboard two military cargo aircraft, included 275 tents and 7 tons of medical supplies. Türkiye also supported Spain after severe flooding by sending 250 large-capacity waste containers and two street-cleaning vehicles to assist recovery efforts.

Alongside AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and other Turkish humanitarian organizations have expanded Türkiye’s global relief efforts. Kızılay said it reached 32.9 million people worldwide in 2025, including 11.2 million people abroad, delivering more than 20,000 tons of humanitarian aid and over 10 million hot meals in Gaza while continuing operations in Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Niger and Uganda.

DAILYSABAH