Turkey sends medical supplies to Ukraine, Tunisia

Turkey has said it sent medical supplies to be used in the fight against the novel coronavirus to Ukraine and Tunisia upon the instruction of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

A statement issued by the Defense Ministry on May 8 informed that the supplies were delivered to Ukraine by a Turkish Airlines plane, saying, "Medical aid supplies, prepared at the direction of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for use against the COVID-19 outbreak, have been sent to Ukraine."

The boxes of aid bore the words of 13th-century poet Mevlana Rumi, "There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness," plus the message: "With love from Turkey to the people of Ukraine."

Earlier, Turkey sent another plane to Tunisia loaded with medical supplies, the ministry stated. "Medical aid supplies, prepared at the direction of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for use against the COVID-19 outbreak, have been sent to Tunisia," it said on Twitter.

More than 125 countries have demanded medical aid from Turkey since the pandemic hit the world, with around half of these countries having been provided various medical equipment and protection gears.

The countries included the worst-hit ones such as Italy, Spain, and the U.K., while Turkey remains the world's third-largest provider of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 187 countries and regions. Europe and the U.S. are currently the worst-hit regions.