UPDATE 1-UAE, Turkey plan humanitarian aid for Libya

Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:45pm GMT

[-] Text [+]

* UAE to send planes, based in Turkey, to Libya

* Turkey will do "everything possible" for humanitarian aid

(Adds Turkish minister quote)

ABU DHABI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates and Turkey said on Friday they would work together to send humanitarian aid to Libya, where hundreds of people have been killed in an uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, speaking after talks in Abu Dhabi with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, said his country would send aid to Turkey on Saturday for delivery to Libya.

"The UAE is sending two planes, to be based in Turkey, to send humanitarian aid from Turkey to Libya," Sheikh Abdullah told a news conference.

"UAE planes will be leaving tomorrow for Turkey and the first two planes will have supplies from the UAE."

Davutoglu said there was a need for humanitarian assistance in Libya, where the World Food Programme said people were struggling with shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.

"We will do everything possible to reach out to Libya in humanitarian ways," the Turkish minister said.

The oil exporting north African country imports large quantities of grain but sources said this week grain cargoes bound for Libya were being diverted because of port closures. (Reporting by Stanley Carvalho; Editing by Elizabeth Piper)

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