Blinken tells Turkey to ‘tell us’ what US can do after earthquake

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken advised his Turkish counterpart to “decide up the cellphone and tell us” what the US can do to assist after an enormous earthquake hit the nation on Monday, State Division spokesperson Ned Value advised reporters.

The Biden administration’s high diplomat spoke to Turkish Overseas Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu by cellphone following the earthquake that killed greater than 2,700 folks throughout a swathe of Turkey and northwest Syria.

“It was so necessary for the secretary to talk to his overseas minister counterpart, Overseas Minister Cavusoglu, within the first occasion to supply condolences and to clarify…that something Turkey wanted that we might present, they need to decide up the cellphone and tell us,” Value stated.

EU prompts disaster response to coordinate earthquake assist in Turkey and Syria

Blinken requested his senior workers on Monday morning to establish what funding could be accessible to assist Turkey and NGOs engaged on the bottom in Syria, Value stated.

Washington has deployed a Catastrophe Help Response Group and is within the technique of deploying two city search and rescue groups from Virginia and California which are anticipated to comprise 79 folks every, the US Company for Worldwide Improvement stated.

The US consulate within the southern Turkish metropolis of Adana would additionally host others engaged on rescue efforts, Value added.