The Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlusun, announced that his country has sent 21 aircraft and 8 humanitarian aid ships to the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli aggression on it about 6 months ago until today. The Turkish Anatolia News Agency quoted Motlusun as saying in a speech during an Iftar banquet he hosted for Egyptian media in Cairo yesterday: 'Turkey's humanitarian aid has increased in cooperation with Egypt, and 95 percent of the aid that reaches Gaza passes through Egypt and with the support of the Egyptian authorities.' He added: "Turkey has so far sent 21 planes and 8 aid ships, and each aid ship carries between 2 and 3 thousand tons of relief materials to Gaza." The Turkish Ambassador stressed "the need for Israel to take more concrete steps in order to bring humanitarian aid and relief materials into Gaza," noting that "this is what the United Nations and the international community are asking for." The Turkish Ambassador expressed his hopes for "reaching a ceasefire in Gaza and starting reconstruction as soon as possible, stressing his country's readiness to provide all forms of support in the period following the ceasefire. Source: National Iraqi News Agency