ANKARA

 Turkish Airlines is to sponsor a train in a region of Iwate Prefecture, with advertising proceeds going to help victims of the 2011 tsunami.

The airline said in a statement Tuesday that revenue from the Sanriku Railways train would be used to support the region in its recovery.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami obliterated some of the region's low-lying areas, destroying fishing boats and completely wiping out the area's seafood industry.

The statement said that the project is aimed at further strengthening ties between the two countries, which date back 125 years.