A Press Conference Was Organized Concerning The Aid That Has Been Provided To Somalia

The press conference organized concerning the aid provided to Somalia by Turkey was conducted with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ.

The press conference organized concerning the aid provided to Somalia by Turkey was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, TİKA Chairman Dr. Serdar Çam, the Prime Ministry Public Diplomacy Coordinator Cemalettin Haşimi, Chairman of the Directorate on Turks Abroad and Related Communities Kemal Yurtnaç, TİKA Assistant Chairman Süreyya Polat, TİKA Middle East and Africa Department Chairman Dr. Enver Arpa, Ministry of Health Emergency Health Services General Manager Prof. Dr. Ali Coşkun, AFAD Chairman Fuat Oktay, The Red Crescent Board of Directors Member in Charge of International Aid Kamil Kolabaş, The Red Crescent Head Inspector Mintez Şimşek, Religious Affairs Directorate Foreign Affairs General Manager Prof. Dr. Mehmet Paçacı, Religious Foundation General Manager İsmail Palakoğlu, Religious Foundation Assistant General Manager Mustafa Tutkun, Religious Foundation Charitable and Social Services Assistant Manager Mustafa Uyar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs East Africa Department Director Olgan Bekar, TİKA and Red Crescent experts and officials from the Directorate on Turks Abroad and Related Communities.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, who provided information on the aid being given to Somalia, emphasized that Turkey is only present in Somalia for humanitarian and conscientious reasons. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ stated that the reason for Turkey’s presence in Somalia was to put an end to the killing in Somalia and to provide a solution to the suffering of people there and added “Turkey is in Somalia to extend a helping hand to enable the Somalians to live in peace, tranquility and a state of wellbeing. There is absolutely to political or calculated reason for being in Somalia”.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ stated that the Somalia visit made by Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdoğan 2 years ago abolished the old approach that it was a country not to be entered. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ described Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdoğan’s visit with the Somalian officials as follows "The visit made by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey to Mogadishu was the most significant thing to happen to the people of Somalia in the past 20 years. This is a milestone for us”.

While pointing out that the visit made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had been given wide coverage in the world agenda Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ added that tens of thousands of tons in food aid had been sent to Somalia in 19 plane and 10 shiploads. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ who also made the reminder that bread factories, food banks, icehouses and tent cities had been established added that 326 health personnel including 92 doctors were assigned to serve in the area in an effort to prevent people from dying due to the lack of medical attention, 304 tons of medicine and medical materials were sent to the area, 4 field hospitals were established and 5 ambulances were provided. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, who stated that 329 thousand 255 people were given medical attention through the Ministry of Health, 5 thousand 154 operations were performed and 23 thousand 834 laboratory and 6 thousand 334 x-ray transactions were completed, said that non-governmental organizations were also continuing to work in the field of health.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ stated that at the present there was no one left dying due to malnutrition, lack of medicine, medicine attention or water and added "Hopefully no more people in Somalia will die from now on due to malnutrition, lack of medicine, medicine attention or water". Emphasizing that Turkey wants its aid to be permanent and that is why these efforts were started, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ said that important steps were being taken to ensure that Somalians could stand on their own. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ pointed out that one of the most important needs of the country is an educated work force and stated that nearly 500 Somalian students are now going to university in Turkey. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, who provided that information that this figure had reached 1,418 with the students brought by non-governmental organizations and foundation universities, added that around one thousand students were also being educated in secondary schools in Turkey.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ gave information about the construction of a health vocations college and high school and a fisheries vocational high school being constructed in Somalia. The Deputy Prime Minister who drew attention to the fact that historical steps were also being taken towards the environment in Somalia, said that the piles of bones had been burned with machines brought from Turkey and that such areas had been transformed into sports areas. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdoğan said that the garbage in the streets was being collected in cooperation with the public and 49 work machines and 400 garbage containers had been sent to the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ also emphasized that a 200 bed capacity hospital was being built in Mogadishu which will “be Africa’s most modern hospital”. Adding that some non-governmental organizations have also been establishing hospitals in Somalia Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ stated that these organizations are continuing efforts to built hospitals for children and maternity hospitals.

Indicating that the presence of Turkey in the country is very important, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ also emphasized that Turkey is the only other country that has an embassy here other than Djibouti, Sudan and Yemen. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ made the reminder that THY has connected Somalia with the rest of the world through scheduled flights, added that TİKA, The Turkish Red Crescent and the Religion Foundation were also conducting important work in the area. The meeting was concluded following the statements with responses by the Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ to questions asked by press members.