Defense Ministry to donate to Turkey earthquake victims

The Defense Ministry said Tuesday it will make a donation to victims of recent earthquakes in Turkey, a close military partner for South Korea.

The ministry said its employees and those working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other branches of the service collected about 26 million won ($23,090) in relief aid for Turkey. On Oct. 23 and again last Thursday, Van province in the eastern part of the country was ravaged by huge earthquakes that killed hundreds of people and left thousands homeless.

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake was also reported earlier Tuesday in eastern Turkey.

Navy Lt. Gen. Kim Jeong-du, vice chairman of the JCS, will deliver the donation later Tuesday during a high-level military exchange meeting between the countries, the ministry said.

The ministry noted that Turkey sent 15,000 infantrymen during the 1950-53 Korean War and 765 of them were killed fighting for the South.

“Our alliance is one forged in blood,” the ministry said in a statement. “To this day, the countries are actively engaged in defense industry cooperation.”

The ministry also made a donation to Turkey following an earthquake there in 1999. 

(Yonhap News)