By Maria Kalamatas | August 1, 2025
Istanbul — In the wake of a devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan earlier this week, Turkish Cargo has mobilized one of the largest humanitarian airlifts in its recent history, delivering over 240 tons of critical aid to the impacted Baghlan and Kunduz provinces.
Three wide-body cargo aircraft — two Airbus A330 freighters and one Boeing 777 — departed from Istanbul Airport’s SMARTIST terminal between Tuesday night and early Thursday morning, carrying urgently needed supplies including medical tents, power generators, water purification units, and high-calorie food packs.
“We worked non-stop from the moment the request came in,” said Mustafa Eren, Head of Special Cargo Operations at Turkish Airlines. “Our logistics teams rerouted flights, cleared warehouse space, and handled permits in under four hours.”
International coordination at speed
The relief effort was coordinated in partnership with AFAD (Turkey’s disaster authority), Turkish Red Crescent, and the United Nations Logistics Cluster, which pooled supplies from warehouses across Spain, Jordan, Germany, and Türkiye.
The shipments landed at Kabul International Airport, where joint civil-military crews offloaded cargo into waiting convoys bound for affected regions. According to field reports from the Afghan Red Crescent, the first trucks reached the outskirts of Pul-e-Khumri within six hours of arrival, despite damaged roadways.
“We’re seeing real-time logistics collaboration that saves lives,” said Farida Azimi, a coordinator on the ground with the World Food Programme in Mazar-i-Sharif. “Every hour matters when people are without shelter or clean water.”
Istanbul’s strategic positioning
Beyond the emergency itself, this operation reinforces Istanbul’s growing role as a humanitarian logistics hub. Turkish Cargo confirmed it will now formalize partnerships with UN agencies to pre-stock supplies for rapid deployment across South Asia and Central Asia.
The airline also plans to install modular cold chain infrastructure for future vaccine and medical aid flights, reflecting the region’s increasing vulnerability to both climate-related and conflict-driven emergencies.
“Our responsibility is not just commercial,” added Eren. “We’re part of a wider chain of response — and Turkey is ready to lead that effort regionally.”
