A 190-bed orphanage in northern Afghanistan built by Turkey’s aid agency held its opening ceremony Friday.

The orphanage in Afghanistan’s third-largest city, Mazar-i-Sharif, close to the border with Uzbekistan, was built by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Labor Minister Faizullah Zaki said: “Turkey displays true brotherhood; they are with Afghanistan in good times and bad times.”

Turkish consul-general in Mazar-i-Sharif, Mustafa Erdeviren, said: “We would like the orphans here to hold pencils, not weapons.”

Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of Balkh province, said the friendship between Turkey and Afghanistan was “eternal”.

Noor also conveyed his gratitude to TIKA for carrying out projects in the country and for the “unforgettable” aid supplied to Balkh province.

Vice President of TIKA Mehmet Sureyya Er said: “Our relationship is not one-sided. We cannot ignore the help Afghanistan has [given us] us in history, therefore, TIKA has opened three offices in the country to show our interest.”

He added TIKA has so far put almost 1,000 projects into effect and will continue to create new initiatives.