Turkish plane with 2nd batch of virus aid lands in US

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By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - A Turkish military cargo plane carrying the second batch of medical supplies landed Friday in the US to deliver aid to its NATO ally battling the coronavirus outbreak.

The plane touched down at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C.

The first shipment Wednesday brought 500,000 surgical masks, 4,000 overalls, 2,000 liters of disinfectant, 1,500 goggles, 400 N-95 masks and 500 face shields.

The plane with mostly overalls, as well as disinfectant, goggles and face shields, was met by Turkish ambassador Serdar Kilic, Brig. Gen. Matthew C. Isler, the Director of Regional Affairs for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, and Kadircan Kottas, the Turkish military attache.

Kilic told reporters US authorities welcomed Turkish help which he said would yield "positive" reflections in Turkish-American relations.

Prepared under the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the supplies carried a message for Americans: "After hopelessness, there is so much hope, and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun,” quoting the words of 13th century scholar Jalaluddin Rumi.

Turkey has helped at least 57 countries, including Italy, Spain and the UK, and remains the world's third largest provider of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.

The pandemic has killed more than 64,000 nationwide, with the total number of infections above 1.1 million.