JAKARTA - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington would provide more long-term assistance to Turkey, to rebuild the country after the devastating earthquake two weeks ago.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and nearby Syria on February 6, killing more than 45,000 people and leaving more than a million homeless, with the economic cost of the disaster estimated in the billions of dollars.
Secretary of State Blinken arrived at Incirlik Air Force Base, Adana, Turkey on Sunday, for an official visit and discussions on how Washington can further assist.
From Incirlik, he boarded a helicopter with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to observe from above the quake devastation in southern Hatay Province, one of the worst affected.
"It's very hard to put into words. You see buildings still standing and then buildings come down, the roof is blown off and right next to it, something is still standing," Secretary of State Blinken told reporters at the base, which Washington uses as its de facto headquarters for military operations. conduct relief efforts, according to Reuters on February 20.
Almost two weeks after the earthquake, search and rescue operations are coming to an end. But Secretary of State Blinken said the United States would continue to assist in what he called a "long-term effort".
It was an honor to meet the heroes of the @USAID search and rescue and disaster assistance response teams and thank them for their critical work to help the people of #Türkiye, our NATO Ally. @USAIDSavesLives pic.twitter.com/3M2W9CsvBk
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 19, 2023
"When you look at the level of damage, the number of buildings, the number of apartments, the number of houses destroyed, it will take a massive effort to rebuild but we are committed to supporting Turkey in that effort," he said.
"The most important thing right now is to provide assistance to people... Simply put, the United States is here," said Foreign Minister Blinken.
Since the earthquake, the United States has sent search and rescue teams to Turkey, along with medical supplies, concrete breaking machines, and an additional $85 million in humanitarian aid that also includes Syria.
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Furthermore, Secretary of State Blinken also said President Joe Biden intends to authorize a $50 million Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund (ERMA) in response to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
With an additional $50 million sent through the State Department and USAID, the total US humanitarian assistance to support the earthquake response in Turkey and Syria reached $185 million, the US State Department said.
It is known that Foreign Minister Blinken is planned to hold further bilateral talks in Ankara on Monday with Foreign Minister Cavusoglu. He is also expected to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said a source with knowledge of the plans.
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