Turkish foreign minister on Thursday held talks with his American counterpart to discuss the latest situation in Türkiye’s southern region that was struck by devastating earthquakes this week.
In their second phone call in four days, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Anthony Blinken discussed assistance and ongoing relief operations after two massive earthquakes just hours apart on Monday devastated cities and towns across a vast swathe of southern Türkiye and also severely hit northwest Syria.
"This was primarily an effort to garner from our Turkish allies what they would like to see from the United States," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters, adding that the United States expects it will have more to say on Türkiye aid soon.
The death toll in one of the worst disasters this century rose to more than 17,670 on Thursday, with over 72,870 injured.
Çavuşoğlu gave specifics about Türkiye's needs, Price said, adding Washington "will do everything we possibly can to fulfil the needs that the Turks have put forward."
Price said U.S. helicopters were helping rescue personnel reach areas difficult to access and said Washington is pre-positioning relief equipment it hopes will join the recovery efforts.
The United States is providing a Disaster Assistance Response Team comprised of about 200 people, including two urban search and rescue teams. Paramedics, emergency responders, hazardous material technicians and others have already arrived, Price said.
Washington is also sending concrete breakers, generators, medical supplies, tents, water and water purification systems, he added.
President Joe Biden spoke to Erdoğan on Monday to offer condolences and reaffirm Washington’s readiness to assist in rescue efforts.
In their talks earlier this week, Blinken told Çavuşoğlu to “pick up the phone and let us know” what Washington can do to help.
Meanwhile, Çavuşoğlu on Thursday also held separate phone calls with his Portuguese counterpart Joao Gomes Cravinho, Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom, Azerbaijani Emergency Situations Minister Kemalettin Haydarov and Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, according to the Turkish diplomatic sources.
The minister also discussed the post-quake situation with U.K.'s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman al-Safadi.
