US to Provide Further Aid to Turkey Following Earthquake Devastation, Amid Strained Relations

(CTN News) – A helicopter tour of one of the regions most severely impacted by the earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6 was conducted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also promised an additional $100 million in relief for the area.

At Incirlik Air Base, a joint U.S.-Turkish facility that has coordinated the transfer of disaster relief, Blinken said, “This is going to be a long-term endeavor.”

“Unfortunately, the search and rescue operation is drawing to a conclusion. After the recovery, there will be a significant reconstruction effort.”

Days after the earthquake that killed more than 44,000 people in Turkey and Syria, President Joe Biden pledged $85 million to the two nations. The US provided equipment and medical supplies along with a search and rescue team.

 

According to Blinken, the increased help consists of $50 million in emergency financing for refugees and migrants and $50 million in humanitarian relief.

Since he assumed office two years ago, the secretary of state is visiting NATO partner Turkey for the first time. After attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Sunday, Blinken traveled to Incirlik Air Base, which is close to Adana.

Along with Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, he flew through the Hatay area of  Türkiye. He was scheduled to meet with injured Turkish military families and American and Turkish service members.

The senior American ambassador stated during the helicopter trip that “it’s going to take a major effort to reconstruct,” given the size of the devastation and the quantity of demolished buildings, flats, and residences.

 

United States Secretary of State said as soldiers nearby unloaded crates of goods, “An essential thing right now is to deliver support to individuals who need it, to get them through the winter and get them back on their feet.” We’ll persevere till the task is completed.

The 39th Air Base Wing of the U.S. Air Force is located at Incirlik, which serves as a key logistical hub for delivering relief.

Supplies from all over the globe have been flown into the facility and delivered to people in need, especially in hard-to-reach areas, by vehicle and helicopter.

Later on Sunday, Blinken is scheduled to take a flight to Ankara, the capital of Turkey, where he will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and have talks with other Turkish officials on Monday.

Blinken is anticipated to talk about the earthquake’s impacts and Sweden and Finland’s ambitions to join NATO, which Turkey has postponed.

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