Turkey has sent a shipment of medical supplies, including new Turkish-made ventilators, to Somalia to help the Horn of Africa country combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The ventilators, made through recent technological advances, will be the "breath of life for our Somali brothers," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Twitter.

Sending the aid is not a matter of civilization but of conscience, he added, stressing how the capability and conscience of the Turkish nation stands with the oppressed and the needy.

After Turkey's all-out effort to develop its own ventilators, which bore fruit last month, Somalia – which lacked the devices, critical for fighting coronavirus – is the first foreign country it sent the ventilators to.

The aid includes a large amount of preventive health care equipment such as 5,000 intensive care ventilators co-manufactured by Turkish firms Biyosys, Baykar, Aselsan, and Arcelik, along with diagnostic kits, overalls, and masks.

Marking the aid shipment, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said that tough times have taught the Turkish nation to be confident and inspired the humanitarian help.

Varank stressed that they are witnessing the success of the technological advances started under the leadership of President Erdoğan.

SOURCE: ANADOLU AGENCY