Turkish defense minister on Monday lauded Malaysia’s support for the country after the devastating twin earthquakes that shook Türkiye's southeast last month.
"As the nation and the state continue to tackle (the effects from) the earthquakes by mobilizing all our might, Malaysia has been among the countries that supported us from the very first moment," Hulusi Akar told reporters at a press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Utama Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Akar further stated that Malaysia's relief efforts were "a reflection of the friendship and brotherhood between the two countries."
Emphasizing the common past and shared values between the two countries, Akar said: "Our relations are extremely constructive and positive. Our relations between our two countries have gained momentum in recent years."
Stating that the relations between Türkiye and Malaysia are based on friendship and brotherhood, Akar explained that he had a very productive and constructive meeting with his counterpart.
The Turkish minister noted they exchanged views on bilateral and regional issues, as well as cooperation in military training and the defense industry.
Before the press conference, Akar welcomed Hasan with a military ceremony at the National Defense Ministry as part of an official trip in Ankara.
After the ceremony, the pair had a tete-a-tete meeting and later co-chaired inter-delegation talks.
For his part, Hasan said that Malaysia had set up a field hospital in the quake-hit Adiyaman province.
Hasan said that the Malaysian government would also donate equipment and material for the Malaysian field hospital.
On Feb. 6, magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck southern Türkiye, claiming the lives of over 50,000 people.
Some 13.5 million people have been affected in 11 cities, including Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, Hatay, and Gaziantep.
