Turkish couple wants to adopt a Somali baby

AFYONKARAHISAR (A.A) - August 22, 2011 - A Turkish couple has offered to adopt a baby from famine-stricken Somalia.
Mejnun Sancak, a journalist living in Turkey's central Afyonkarahisar province, and his wife made an application to Turkish Foreign Ministry, expressing their desire and expecting help to adopt a Somali baby.
Mejnun Sancak told AA reporter that he and his wife Fulya were deeply saddened when they watched TV reports about the tragedy in Somalia where child mortality reached alarming levels. 
Somalia has been the African country worst hit by the drought. Tens of thousands of people are fleeing to the capital, Mogadishu. The United Nations has declared several famine zones in Somalia where more than 3 million people are in need of urgent life-saving aid.
Turkey has recently initiated an assistance campaign with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visiting several refugee camps in the country and pledging more aid in cash and infrastructure, last week. Turkish people have so far collected nearly $150 million in donations for Somalia and Africa.
"While watching news reports on TV, we saw desperate people in need of a drop of water and a piece of bread. Children are dying and mothers are leaving one of their children in order to keep others alive," Mejnun Sancak said. "We felt deep pain in our hearts, that's why we wanted to adopt a Somali baby."
Sancak family has a 1-year-old daughter. Mejnun Sancak said they did not have any economic problems and could raise the adopted baby together with their own. 
"We are expecting good news from Foreign Ministry officials," he added.