U.S. Deploys Disaster Assistance Response Team To Türkiye

The U.S. on Monday deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Türkiye as the devastating earthquake generated significant humanitarian needs, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

President Joe Biden spoke by phone with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the earthquake and "reaffirmed the readiness of the United States to provide any and all needed assistance to our NATO Ally Türkiye in response to this tragedy," the White House said.

Separately, Secretary Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish FM Cavusoglu "to offer condolences and to make clear... that anything Turkey needed that we could provide, they should pick up the phone and let us know,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. "We are determined to provide any and all assistance to help those affected by these earthquakes" he added.

The U.S. facility in Adana is going to be in a position to host others who are coming to facilitate and to help the rescue efforts, Price told a daily press briefing in response to TURAN's questions.

"We’re going to open our doors. We are going to open our collective wallet, as it were, to help Türkiye in any way that we can..." he added/

Washington is "prepared to do everything" when it comes to rescue and recovery.  "But this will be a comprehensive effort that goes well beyond rescue and recovery, to include rebuilding, to addressing the significant challenges, including the communication challenges, the infrastructure challenges that our allies are likely to find going forward," Price said.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.