Life savers: An injured victim being treated by rescuers at a field hospital in Hatay. — AFP
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will donate part of the Malaysian Field Hospital (HMM) assets to the Turkiye Government to help restore health services in the country following the tragic earthquake that struck the country and northwestern Syria last month.
The Defence Ministry, in a statement on Tuesday (March 21), said this was announced by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in a meeting with his counterpart, National Defence of Turkiye Minister Hulusi Akar, at the National Defence Ministry in Ankara.
Mohamad is in Turkiye for a three-day official visit to the republic starting Sunday (March 19).
"During the meeting, the Honorable Minister of Defence conveyed his condolences to the victims and their families and the people of the Republic of Turkiye who were affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the country on Feb 6, 2023.
On Feb 6, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Ritcher scale hit southern Turkiye and northwestern Syria, and the effects of the earthquake were reportedly also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.
The two ministers also expressed their commitment to boost defence cooperation between Malaysia and Turkiye, especially in military cooperation as well as science, technology and the defence industry, the statement read.
The meeting also discussed existing and future procurement through the government-to-government (G2G) mechanism, and Mohamad also extended an invitation to Akar to attend the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LlMA 2023) in May.
During the visit, Mohamad also visited the HMM located in Celikhan, Adiyaman and was briefed by Brig Gen Datuk Dr Amran Amir Hamzah on the field hospital’s operations since being set up on Feb 15 to provide health services to local residents and nearby areas that have been affected by the disaster.
Mohamad also met the president of the Defense Industry Agency and was briefed on how Turkiye had successfully developed its defence industry to become one of the world's leading industry players.
"Both parties have agreed that defence industry cooperation needs to be enhanced beyond the acquisition of military assets and are committed to exploring other cooperation opportunities that mutually benefit both countries," the statement read further.
Mohamad's visit to Turkiye is part of the activities under the third pillar of the National Defence Strategy, namely Credible Partnerships, as outlined in the Defence White Paper, as well as a sign of solidarity with the people of Turkiye.- Bernama
