Thousands of people have died in the aftermath.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price discussed the department’s response to the massive earthquake that hit the country of Turkey. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed 3,700 people in its first wave, and the hundreds of aftershocks have gone on to kill thousands more. The most recent death toll reports over 21,000 deaths as rescue teams continue to work.
Spokesman Price said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken immediately reached out to Turkey’s foreign minister to offer whatever assistance they could in the wake of this disaster. “It was so important for the secretary to speak to his foreign minister counterpart, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, in the first instance 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,” the State Department spokesman said.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the president and his administration as they offer assistance to NATO ally Turkey.
- For Secretary Blinken to seek God’s guidance as he heads diplomatic missions and discussions.
- For the people of Turkey and Syria as they work to recover from the devastating earthquake and aftershocks.
Sources: Reuters, State Department
