Re: Muslim states send condolences and aid to Pakistan
**Turkish Cypriot team heads to Pakistan **
A GROUP of 21 Turkish Cypriots left the island to join the global rescue effort to save victims of the Pakistani earthquake yesterday. The group, including three doctors, six nurses and 12 members of the north’s civil defence team specialising in search and rescue operations, would also be taking along “large amounts” of medication plus 2,500 blankets, the north’s ‘health minister’ Esref Faiz said yesterday. They were due to leave yesterday aboard a jet provided by the north’s main carrier Cyprus Turkish Airlines (CTA), which Faiz said would possibly fly directly into Pakistan. Sending the team, Faiz said, was an expression for of sympathy for the Pakistani people in their time of need. Head of the north’s civil defence team Ilhan Birol said yesterday the search and rescue team would be taking along listening equipment and heat sensitive cameras. They would also be accompanied by a building engineer specialising in earthquake damage, he said.