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The Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent signed a protocol Thursday outlining cooperation in three key areas during a ceremony at the Turkish Red Crescent headquarters in Ankara.
The signing ceremony was attended by Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meric Yilmaz and Syrian Arab Red Crescent President Hazem Bakleh.
Speaking at the event, Yilmaz said Syria had endured “very difficult times for 14 years” but was now entering a period of recovery. She emphasized that Türkiye has always maintained strong ties with the Syrian people, adding:
“Today, we continue our brotherhood. In this new stage, our mission is to strengthen the Syrian Red Crescent and continue humanitarian efforts through them.”
Yilmaz said aid operations in northern Syria were ongoing and had not been reduced. “The recovery process is one that requires continued solidarity,” she said. “In addition to our ongoing work in the north, we are now planning projects with the Syrian Red Crescent to enhance their operational capacity.”
She outlined details of the new cooperation: “Bread distribution will begin in Aleppo. ‘Kindness boutiques’ will open in Aleppo and Damascus, and a cash support program will be launched in Damascus. These days will be remembered as a period when two brotherly nations supported each other and continued as two strong, friendly neighbors.”
Syrian Arab Red Crescent President Hazem Bakleh recalled meeting Yilmaz on his first day in office 10 months ago. A longtime volunteer since 1992, Bakleh said he resigned in 2017 but returned to lead the organization years later.
He noted that the Syrian Red Crescent suffered heavy losses during the early years of the war.
“We lost about 66 martyrs and had many wounded. Most of our volunteers who were imprisoned lost their lives,” he said, thanking the Turkish Red Crescent for its ongoing support to the Syrian people and the Syrian Red Crescent.
Bakleh described the severe humanitarian situation in Syria, noting that many people had lost their homes and were living in tents or camps.
“There is massive destruction, and we are working on ways to address this. We are making efforts to rebuild infrastructure so that people can return home—maybe not perfectly, but in a way worthy of human dignity,” he said.
“With the help of our brothers, we hope to rebuild Syria hand in hand.”
Following the speeches, Yilmaz and Bakleh signed the protocol covering three main areas of cooperation.
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