More than 100 people evacuated from the Gaza Strip are expected to arrive in Turkey today, among dozens of people who will receive medical care there, said the Minister of Health of the country and representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sixty-one patients, accompanied by 49 of their relatives, arrived in Egypt from Gaza last Sunday night and are expected to fly to Ankara today after spending the night at al-Aris Hospital, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

Koca said last week that Ankara wants to transfer many of Gaza’s nearly 1,000 cancer patients to Turkey as soon as possible. The first 27 patients arrived last Thursday in the Turkish capital.

Separately, a group of 87 people made up of Turks and Turkish Cypriots and their relatives arrived in Egypt from Gaza yesterday and are expected to depart by air for Istanbul later today, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Onzu Ketzeli said.

Forty-four Turks who arrived in Egypt from Gaza over the weekend arrived in Istanbul yesterday, according to images released by the Foreign Ministry.

Keceli also said that, conditions permitting, Turkey plans to evacuate around 100 more people from Gaza today.

Speaking in parliament, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan pointed out that Turkey’s efforts to remove citizens from Gaza continue.

“Until today we have ensured the removal from Gaza of 170 of our citizens and their relatives,” he explained, adding that new removals will take place today and tomorrow.

A month ago Turkish Deputy Minister Ahmet Yildiz said that around 700 people had asked Turkey to help them leave the Gaza Strip. About 300 of them are Turkish citizens.