US State Secy Blinken embarks on visit to earthquake-hit Turkey

After attending Munich Security Conference in Germany, US State Secretary, Antony Blinken on Sunday departed for his visit to earthquake-hit Turkey.

"As I depart Munich, I am motivated by the accomplishments our Allies and partners have made in support of Ukraine through collective unity, action, and sacrifice. We will remain unified and see victory for Ukrainians fighting for their country's fate. My next stop is Turkiye," tweeted Blinken.

Blinken will visit the Incirlik air base, through which aid is flowing, and then hold talks with senior Turkish officials in the capital Ankara, the US State Department announced.

"Secretary Blinken will visit Incirlik Air Base in Turkiye on February 19 to see firsthand US efforts to assist the Turkish authorities responding to the devastation caused by the February 6 earthquakes," read the statement of US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

He also informed that Blinken will then travel to Ankara, where he will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and other senior Turkish officials "to discuss continued US support to Turkiye and the Turkish people after the devastating earthquakes, as well as ways to further strengthen our partnership with Turkiye as a valued NATO Ally."

Secretary Blinken will also thank the Government of Turkiye for its support for cross-border aid to affected areas of Syria.

Blinken is traveling to Germany, Turkey, and Greece from February 16-22, 2023.

In Athens, Greece, Secretary Blinken will meet with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Foreign Minister Dendias, and Leader of the Opposition Alexis Tsipras to discuss defence cooperation, energy security, and our shared commitment to defend democracy.

Secretary Blinken will launch the fourth round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue on February 21, added the statement.

At MSC 2023, top diplomats discussed the future of Ukraine. Russia's invasion of Ukraine continued to dominate discussions in the Bavarian capital, with world leaders and diplomats addressing the conditions necessary for peace in Ukraine and what steps need to be taken to make it possible.

"Excellent panel discussion today with @DmytroKuleba and @ABaerbock. The United States and our Allies and partners are more united than ever in our support for Ukraine. We appreciate Germany's leadership in supporting Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance," tweeted Blinken.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock took part in a joint panel called "Visions for Ukraine."

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the war could end "tomorrow" if Russian President Putin withdrew troops and stopped bombing.

Blinken echoed her comments, adding: "If Russia stops fighting the war is over. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine is over."

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was asked what victory would look like to him, and not for the first time that day, he quipped. Meanwhile,

"For us, there is a short notion of victory, and that's full restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity. And there's a long view of victory, which includes compensations for the damage inflicted, accountability for perpetrators of crimes, and most importantly, Russia must change," Kuleba said. "In the end, the only durable peace in the euro-Atlantic space will become possible after Russia poses no threat to the Euro-Atlantic space. And for that to happen, we need Russia to change."

Kuleba also said that as long as Putin remained in power in Russia, Kyiv would be in trouble; he called the issue Putin's "personal obsession."

Meanwhile, China's former Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing will try to broker Ukraine peace talks.

( With inputs from ANI )