US commander of NATO's Joint Force Command in Türkiye to observe quake relief efforts

ADANA

The US commander of NATO's Joint Force Command Naples arrived at the Incirlik Air Base in Türkiye's southern Adana province on Thursday to observe relief efforts in the earthquakes-hit region.

To observe and discuss relief efforts with the NATO and the US teams on the ground, Adm. Stuart Munsch's "visit began in Incirlik with a focus on NATO and the US efforts to airlift tents and relief supplies to Türkiye," NATO said on Twitter.

Later, Munsch will head to the Iskenderun district of quake-hit Hatay province to see "the site preparation and the arrival of the first shipment of NATO temporary housing to Türkiye," it added.

At least 43,556 people have been killed and more than 105,000 injured by the two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to officials.

The 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude quakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa and Elazig.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in less than 10 hours.