NATO chief to visit quake-hit Türkiye for solidarity

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will travel to Türkiye on Thursday to express solidarity and discuss further support on last week's devastating earthquakes.

At a news conference following the two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers, Stoltenberg said he will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

During the visit, Stoltenberg intends to “express my solidarity, my condolences and continue” the discussions with the Turkish leaders on how NATO can provide further “relief support and alleviate the suffering and the consequences of the terrible earthquake.”

He said he closed the defense ministers meeting by asking them to provide more strategic airlift, as well as to bring more tents and humanitarian aid.

Twenty NATO members and 30 partner countries, including invitees Finland and Sweden, sent personnel, supplies as well as fully-equipped semi-permanent shelter facilities to help accommodate the displaced people.

Over 35,000 people have died in the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes that struck southern Türkiye nine hours apart on Feb. 6.