Turkish agency organizes iftar meals abroad

By Ecenur Colak and Dildar Baykan

ROME/ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s state aid agency distributed iftar (fast-breaking) meals in Italy, South Korea, and Afghanistan as Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan.

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in cooperation with Turkey’s embassy in Rome organized the iftar meal for 500 people at Islamic Culture Center in the Italian capital Rome.

Turkey’s ambassador in Rome Murat Salim Esenli, Turkish ambassador to the Vatican Mehmet Pacaci, TIKA’s head of East and Southeast Asia and Latin America Rahman Nurdun attended the iftar.

Esenli told Anadolu Agency that representatives of the Islamic world in Italy welcomed Turkish ambassadors to the iftar meal.

TIKA’s Nurdun said that organizing such an event was important in a way to show solidarity with migrants and asylum seekers in Italy.

Separately, TIKA also organized an iftar meal for 250 people at an orphanage in Afghanistan’s Herat province, the agency said in a statement.

Meanwhile, more than 500 Korean Muslims gathered for an iftar meal organized by TIKA and Korea Muslim Federation in the South Korean capital Seoul.

Established in 1992, Turkey's government-run aid agency is responsible for implementing Turkey's developmental cooperation policies overseas.