US will back quake-hit Türkiye “as long as it takes”: Blinken

The United States will support Türkiye “for as long as it takes” after its devastating earthquakes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says on Monday, while his Turkish counterpart says there was no need to wait for a disaster to improve ties.

Blinken was speaking after his visit on Sunday to the quake zone, where rescue work was winding down two weeks after the worst disaster in the country’s modern history.

The quake killed more than 46 000 people in Türkiye and northwest Syria. “The United States and Türkiye do not agree on every issue but it is a partnership that has withstood against challenges,” Blinken told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara.

Total US humanitarian assistance to support the earthquake response in Türkiye and Syria has reached $185 million, says the US State Department.

Relations between the NATO allies have been strained since 2019 when Ankara acquired Russian missile defense systems, among other sources of tension between them.

Cavusoglu told reporters he had discussed a planned $20 billion deal for US F-16 warplanes with Blinken, and said that Türkiye would like the US administration to send the formal notification for the F-16s to Congress.

He added that Ankara expected support from Congress to push through the deal. Standing alongside Blinken, Cavusoglu says it was not possible for Türkiye to purchase F-16 warplanes with pre-conditions and that he believed the issue can be overcome if the US administration maintains a decisive stance.

Meanwhile, the rescue team ends the operation. Rescuers believe no one is left to be rescued.