Blinken urges Turkey, Greece to end dispute in wake of earthquake goodwill - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Al-Monitor Staff

Al-Monitor Staff

Feb 21, 2023

Greece's Minister for the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Stylianides (R) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) during a meeting with a Search and Rescue team that assisted during the earthquake in Turkey, in Athens, on February 21, 2023. (Photo by MICHAEL VARAKLAS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) — Greece's Minister for the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Stylianides (R) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) during a meeting with a search and rescue team that assisted during the earthquake in Turkey, in Athens, Feb. 21, 2023. — MICHAEL VARAKLAS/AFP via Getty Images

While visiting Greece on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Athens and Ankara to ride the momentum of solidarity. The two neighbors had put their disagreements aside after twin earthquakes struck southern Turkey and northern Syria and killed more than 45,000 people.

Wrapping up his tour of Germany, Turkey and Greece, Blinken focused his messages on efforts to set up a united transatlantic bloc a few days ahead of the first anniversary of the Ukraine war's start.

Related Topics

Humanitarian crises NATO Russia-Ukraine crisis Turkey elections

SAKIS MITROLIDIS/AFP via Getty Images

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) disembarks his plane at Paris-Le Bourget Aiport, north of Paris as he arrives for his visit to Paris, on March 8, 2022. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Blinken heads to earthquake-hit Turkey in first visit

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

A photograph taken on February 8, 2023 shows tents at a camp set up by the government in the southeastern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, two days after a strong earthquake struck the region.

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