Erdoğan sends letter to Trump, says Turkey will show solidarity as a strong ally

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has promised to stand in solidarity with the United States in its struggle against the coronavirus pandemic and as it recovers from the outbreak.

In a letter sent to U.S. President Donald Trump, Erdoğan said he was following with appreciation Trump's efforts to control the outbreak.

Erdogan wrote: "I am very pleased to observe that, thanks to your measures, America has taken the first steps towards normalization by achieving a downward trend in the number of new cases.''

"You can be sure, as a reliable and strong partner of the U.S., we will continue to demonstrate solidarity in every way possible,'' he wrote. Erdoğan said he hopes the medical aid Turkey sent to U.S. citizens will help them recover from COVID-19.

He also said that he hopes U.S. Congress and media understand the strategic importance of bilateral relations and common struggle better.

The A400M military cargo plane touched down at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C. on April 28 afternoon.

The shipment includes 500,000 surgical masks, 4,000 overalls, 2,000 liters of disinfectant, 1,500 goggles, 400 N95 masks and 500 face shields, according to the Turkish presidency.

Prepared under the instructions of Erdoğan, the boxes containing the medical aid carried a message for the people of the U.S:

"After hopelessness, there is so much hope, and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun," it said, quoting the words of 13th-century scholar Jalaluddin Rumi.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Turkey on April 28 for sending medical aid to the country amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Hours after a Turkish military plane landed in the U.S. with...