Antony Blinken and Turkish foreign minister hold press conference over US earthquake aid

Antony Blinken and Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a joint news conference over US aid for the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey on 6 February.

The US Secretary of State has pledged a further $100m in aid to help the region recover and rebuild.

It is Mr Blinken's first trip to the Nato ally since he took office two years ago.

The 7.8-magnitude tremor hit Turkey's southeast and neighbouring Syria, killing more than 45,000 people and leaving more than a million homeless.

Since the earthquake struck, the United States has already sent $85m in humanitarian aid to both countries. Help included providing medical supplies and concrete-breaking machinery.

The additional funding consists of $50m in Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Funds (ERMA) and a further $50m delivered through the State Department and USAID.

"When you see the extent of the damage, the number of buildings, the number of apartments, the number of homes that have been destroyed, it is going to take a massive effort to rebuild but we are committed to supporting Turkey in that effort," Mr Blinken said.

Donate to our Turkey and Syria earthquake appeal here.