Turkey sent 21 truckloads of humanitarian aid from Sanliurfa province to its Operation Peace Spring zone in northern Syria with the help of international aid organizations and Kuwaiti philanthropists, the Sanliurfa governor’s office said Thursday. 

Turkey continues to send aid to both the zone and Syria’s Tal Abyad and Rasulayn districts, which were recently cleared of PKK/YPG terrorists, the statement said.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the delivery of the aid with the support of the international aid organizations Ataa and Al Rahme as well as Kuwaiti philanthropists, the province’s Deputy Governor Abdullah Abid Oztoprak said Turkey will continue to stand by the oppressed and the victims.

"We are witnesses that our Kuwaiti brothers and sisters have always helped those (in need) in Syria. Since the first day, they have been on their side,” he said.

Representatives of the Ataa and Al Rahme associations also thanked Turkey for the convenience and support provided by the philanthropists in delivering their donations to Syrians.

Trucks sent to the needy in Syria have basic food supplies such as stoves, firewood, blankets, diapers and cleaning supplies as well as children's food, flour, oil, sugar and pulses.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​/aa