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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Turkey on Sunday to view relief operations after a massive earthquake.
Blinken will visit the Incirlik air base, through which aid is flowing, and then hold talks with senior Turkish officials in the capital Ankara, the US State Department announced. "Secretary Blinken will visit Incirlik Air Base in Turkiye on February 19 to see firsthand US efforts to assist the Turkish authorities responding to the devastation caused by the February 6 earthquakes," read the statement of US State Department spokesperson Ned Price. He also informed that Blinken will then travel to Ankara, where he will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and other senior Turkish officials "to discuss continued US support to Turkiye and the Turkish people after the devastating earthquakes, as well as ways to further strengthen our partnership with Turkiye as a valued NATO Ally." Secretary Blinken will also thank the Government of Turkiye for its support for cross-border aid to affected areas of Syria. Notably, Blinken will travel to Germany, Turkiye, and Greece February 16-22, 2023. On February 16, he will travel to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference, where he will participate in a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings to discuss continued support for Ukraine, assistance to Turkiye and the Syrian people, and our commitment to transatlantic security and a rules-based international order, added the statement. In Athens, Greece, Secretary Blinken will meet with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Foreign Minister Dendias, and Leader of the Opposition Alexis Tsipras to discuss defense cooperation, energy security, and our shared commitment to defend democracy. Secretary Blinken will launch the fourth round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue on February 21, added the statement. (ANI)
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