The fire department of the suburban Quilicura district of Chilean capital Santiago on Saturday held a ceremony to thank the Turkish government for their "generous donation" and hail their country's friendship with Turkey.

The Quilicura Fire Department, which changed its name to the Turkish-Chilean Friendship Fire Department of Quilicura after the Turkish donation, celebrated the alliance between the two countries, expressing their gratitude for the donation.

The Turkish Ambassador to Chile, Naciye Gökçen Kaya, partook in the ceremony and stressed that today "was a very significant day for Chile and for Turkey, and it is once again the excellent example of the friendship that exists between our countries and unite these friendly peoples."

Quilicura was provided with 35 firefighter vests and a fire truck following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's pledge during his visit in January 2016.

The first Captain of the Turkish-Chilean Friendship Fire Department, Roberto Alvarez, conveyed the gratitude of Chilean people. "We would like to extend our gratitude to the Turkish government for their generous donation. Many lives have been saved thanks to the equipment you provided," Alvarez said.

Meanwhile, The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) is set to train 10 Chilean firefighters in the upcoming months in Ankara. Furthermore, Vice President of TİKA, Professor Birol Çetin stressed that the agency is ready to provide funding for the new compound of the Turkish-Chilean Friendship Fire Department.