U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, proper, and Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sit in a helicopter for a tour of earthquake stricken areas, in Turkey, Sunday.

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, proper, and Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sit in a helicopter for a tour of earthquake stricken areas, in Turkey, Sunday.

Clodagh Kilcoyne/AP

ISTANBUL — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took a helicopter tour Sunday of one of many provinces worst-affected by the Feb. 6 earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria and pledged an extra $100 million in help to assist the area.

“That is going to be a long-term effort,” Blinken mentioned at Incirlik Air Base, a joint U.S.-Turkish facility that has coordinated the distribution of catastrophe help. “The search and rescue, sadly, is coming to an finish. The restoration is on, after which there shall be an enormous rebuilding operation.”

President Joe Biden introduced $85 million for Turkey and Syria days after the earthquake that has killed greater than 44,000 individuals within the two nations. The U.S. has additionally despatched a search and rescue workforce, medical provides and tools.

The extra help consists of $50 million in emergency refugee and migration funds and $50 million in humanitarian help, Blinken mentioned.

The secretary of state is making his first journey to NATO ally Turkey since he took workplace two years in the past. Blinken arrived at Incirlik Air Base, close to Adana, on Sunday after attending the Munich Safety Convention in Germany.

He toured Turkey’s Hatay province from the air with Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He was anticipated to fulfill with U.S. and Turkish service personnel, in addition to Turkish army households affected by the earthquake.

Troops load help onto a car as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Incirlik Air Base close to Adana, Turkey, on Sunday.

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Troops load help onto a car as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Incirlik Air Base close to Adana, Turkey, on Sunday.

Clodagh Kilcoyne/Clodagh Kilcoyne/Pool by way of AP

“If you see the extent of the injury, the variety of buildings, the variety of flats, the variety of houses which were destroyed, it is going to take an enormous effort to rebuild,” the highest U.S. diplomat mentioned after the helicopter tour.

“An important factor proper now could be to get help to individuals who want it, to get them by means of the winter and to get them again on their ft,” Blinken mentioned as troops close by unloaded bins of help. “We’ll keep it up till we get the job performed.”

Incirlik, dwelling to the U.S. Air Pressure’s thirty ninth Air Base Wing, has been a vital logistics middle for help distribution. Provides from around the globe have been flown into the bottom and despatched by truck and helicopter to these in want, together with in troublesome to succeed in villages.

Blinken is about to fly to Ankara, Turkey’s capital, later Sunday for discussions with Turkish officers on Monday, together with an anticipated assembly with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In addition to the consequences of the earthquake, Blinken is predicted to debate Sweden and Finland’s efforts to hitch NATO, which Turkey has delayed.