Jerusalem - Israel yesterday sent a specialised disaster relief team to Turkey to help in the search for victims of the massive earthquake and to help treat the injured, a military spokesman said.
An aircraft carrying a field hospital and 145 soldiers from units specialising in disaster relief left Israel for Golcuk, a Turkish naval base near the epicentre of the earthquake.
The team is similar to that sent by Israel to the Kenyan capital Nairobi a year ago to help victims of the bombing of the US embassy and to others sent to Armenia to help with the effects of another massive earthquake in 1988. On Tuesday, Israel sent a Boeing passenger aircraft carrying another team of 145 officers and men accompanied by three Hercules transport planes carrying medical supplies. The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, had earlier promised to send more aid to Turkey following a telephone conversation with the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Bulent Ecevit, his office said.
"Ecevit telephoned Barak to thank him warmly for the immediate aid Israel sent to Turkey following the earthquake," a statement issued by Mr Barak's office said.
The telephone conversation was on Tuesday night, the statement added.