ISTANBUL

Turkish and Azerbaijani Red Crescent organizations inked a deal to improve humanitarian aid capacity in the region, diversify and expand the scope of their activities on Thursday.

Vice President of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and President of Turkish Red Crescent Kerem Kinik signed an agreement in Turkish Red Crescent's Community Center in Istanbul's Bagcilar district with his Azerbaijani counterpart Novruzali Aslanov to work together for the victims of Karabakh war.

The deal envisages strengthening cooperation to support people who had been displaced during the conflicts and desiring to return to their homes.

Reconstruction of Red Crescent's branches in the Shusha, Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts within the Karabakh region is also a part of the plan.

Kinik said that he does not regard the Red Crescents of the two countries as separate organizations as they act as a single national society.

Recalling the Karabakh war in Azerbaijan last year and the massive forest fires across Turkey in the 2021 summer, Kinik said that the two countries supported each other during tough times.

"We will continue to work shoulder to shoulder in fraternity," he added.

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara