Turkish Red Crescent started an aid campaign Thursday for victims of the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, Turkish media reported.

The organization called on Turkish people to make donations in various ways including text messages, Internet and remittances, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported, quoting a written statement by the organization.

"Daily foodstuff need of a four-people family costs four US dollars. The Turkish Red Crescent wants Turkish people to help Haitian people by sending a mobile phone message and contribute five Turkish lira each," the organization was quoted as saying.

The Turkish Red Crescent has dispatched aid teams to Haiti immediately after the quake, said the statement.

The Turkish government pledged to offer US$1 million of financial aid and send ten tons of relief materials as well as a 20-person team to Haiti, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said last week.

Tens of thousands of people were buried under debris after the 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, the strongest quake in about 200 years in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2010)