On February 19, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Turkey. The day before the visit, he wrote on Twitter:

"Preparing to visit #Türkiye, I thank @USChamber and American companies for stimulating the private sector's response to the earthquake. American businesses have provided over $65 million and play an invaluable role in helping the Turkish and Syrian people."

Blinken's plane will land at the Incirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana, from where he will inspect the area affected by the earthquake.

During his official visit, the US Secretary of State will discuss how Washington can help Ankara deal with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. Issues such as Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO, the situation in Ukraine, and the settlement of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia may also be discussed.

Turkey currently refuses to ratify Sweden's accession to NATO, claiming that Stockholm harbors members of terrorist groups. Recently, Ankara stated that it may only approve Finland's application.

On Monday, February 20, Blinken will hold bilateral talks with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. It is expected that the Secretary of State will also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Blinken's first visit to Turkey as Secretary of State comes two years after he took office. Some of his predecessors, including Hillary Clinton and Rex Tillerson, made similar visits within the first three months of their tenure. According to analysts, this indicates the tense nature of relations, which have deteriorated, particularly since 2019, when Ankara acquired Russian missile defense systems.

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