A border gate between Armenia and Turkey has opened for the first time in 35 years to allow the crossing of aid for victims of the massive earthquake in southern Turkey.
In a tweet, Turkey's special envoy for dialogue with Armenia, Serdar Kilic, confirmed the arrival of five trucks carrying food, medicines, water, and other emergency aid packages passing through the Alican checkpoint.
"In addition to the 28-member A/K team and technical equipment immediately after the earthquake, 5 trucks full of 100 tons of food, medicine, water and other emergency aid packages of the people of Armenia left for Adiyaman this morning through the Andijan border crossing," said in a tweet written in Turkish.
Depremin hemen akabindeki 28 kişilik A/K ekibi ve teknik ekipmana ilaveten,Ermenistan halkının 5 TIR dolusu 100 tonluk gıda,ilaç,su ve sair acil yardım paketi de bu sabah Alican sınır kapısından geçerek Adıyaman'a doğru yola çıktı.Teşekkürler @RubenRubinyan teşekkürler Ermenistan pic.twitter.com/Val0BC9pbp
— Serdar KILIÇ (@serdarkilic9) February 11, 2023
Meanwhile, a video of a truck crossing the Margara bridge was shared by Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan on Twitter.
“Humanitarian aid from #Armenia crossed the Margara bridge on#Armenia-#Turkey border heading to the earthquake-stricken region,” Kostanyan said.
Humanitarian aid from #Armenia crossed the Margara bridge on #Armenia-#Turkey border heading to earthquake-stricken region. pic.twitter.com/7lwWrbE3fa
— Vahan Kostanyan (@VahanKostanyan) February 11, 2023
In 1988, the Turkish Red Crescent also used the crossing to aid earthquake victims in Armenia, killing over 30,000 people.
It was in World War I when the relationship between the two countries had been strained after the mass killing of Armenian in the Turkish Empire.
