U.S. President Joe Biden promised assistance to Turkey after a series of earthquakes killed thousands of people.
What Happened: Biden spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and offered to provide “any and all needed assistance.”
The U.S. president said he had directed his team to continue to monitor the situation in coordination with Turkey closely. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria. I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye and provide any and all needed assistance,” Biden tweeted from his official handle.
See Also: Turkey’s Erdogan Warns Greece Its Missiles Can Hit Athens — ‘If You Don’t Stay Calm…’
“Our teams are deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and address the needs of those injured and displaced by the earthquake,” the president added in a statement released by the White House.
John Kirby, the National security council spokesperson, said Washington sent two search-and-rescue teams of 79 people each while the Pentagon and USAID coordinated with their counterparts in Turkey.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to offer help, the State Department spokesman Ned Price told media.
Meanwhile, the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have killed more than 4,000 people and toppled thousands of buildings across a wide region, according to Associated Press.
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