US President Joe Biden on Monday said his administration has been working closely with Turkey, authorizing an immediate Washington response to the devastating earthquake there.
The United States is sending two, 79-person search-and-rescue teams to assist Turkish officials in responding to the earthquake that killed more than 2,600 people in that country and Syria, according to the White House.
"Our teams are deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and address the needs of those injured and displaced by the earthquake," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
Blinken: United States is already responding with assistance
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier on Monday that the United States is already responding with assistance.
"Our initial assistance response to Türkiye is already underway, and US-supported humanitarian organizations in Syria are responding to the earthquakes’ effects across the country.
"We are determined to do all that we can to help those affected by these earthquakes in the days, weeks, and months ahead," Blinken said in a statement.