The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, arrived in Turkey this Sunday to show support for this allied country, hit by the earthquake two weeks ago that has left almost 45,000 dead in Turkey and neighboring Syria.
Blinken, who arrived from Germany, where he has participated in the Munich Security Conference, landed at the Incirlik airbase in southeastern Turkey, from which a large part of international humanitarian aid, including US aid, is being distributed to the areas most affected by the devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.8.
The head of US diplomacy, together with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuolu, flew over Hatay province in a Turkish Armed Forces helicopter, one of the most affected provinces. "I am deeply saddened to see firsthand the devastation of the earthquakes in Turkey. The United States remains committed to doing all we can to assist with rescue, relief and recovery efforts," Blinken wrote on his Twitter account.
Next, he met with relatives of Turkish soldiers affected by the earthquake. He also met with American rescue teams and with members of the White Helmets, a humanitarian aid organization from Syria, reports Efe.
This is Blinken's first visit to Turkey, an important traditional ally of the United States in NATO, but immersed in diplomatic tensions with the White House for years. On Monday he plans to travel to Ankara where, in an official act, he will thank Çavusoglu for the Turkish cooperation provided to deliver humanitarian aid to the areas affected by the earthquake in Syria.
Precisely, a humanitarian convoy from Doctors Without Borders (MSF), with 14 trucks of basic necessities, was able to enter northwest Syria this Sunday from neighboring Turkey. The organization warned in a statement of the need to urgently increase the volume of aid: in the 10 days after the earthquakes, the number of trucks that crossed the border into northwestern Syria was lower than the average for 2022.
Coinciding with Blinken's visit to the area, Washington yesterday announced $100 million in additional aid to deal with the consequences of the earthquakes, bringing the country's total support to $185 million. The State Department indicated in a statement that President Joe Biden will authorize the supply of 50 million from the Emergency Fund for Migrant and Refugee Assistance. The other $50 million will be provided through the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
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