Blinken inspects Turkey quake zones from air

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in southern Türkiye on Sunday before setting off on a tour of the country's earthquake disaster zone accompanied by his Turkish counterpart. The pair left Incirlik air base near Adana by helicopter for the nearby Hatay province, one of the areas hardest hit by the Feb. 6 quake. Blinken had arrived at Incirlik earlier in the day, where U.S. troops are based, traveling from Germany.

The trip to NATO ally Türkiye is his first visit since he took office two years ago. He is due to visit a “tent city” in Hatay established for those displaced by the earthquake, which has killed at least 44,000 in Türkiye and Syria, before touring an aid distribution center, Turkish diplomatic sources said. On returning to Incirlik, he will meet U.S. and Turkish service personnel, as well as Turkish military families affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

The top U.S. diplomat will also inspect American aid efforts organized from the base and speak to members of USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team, a group of disaster experts. He will fly to Ankara later on Sunday ahead of discussions with Turkish officials on Monday, including an anticipated meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.