19 February 2023 at 14:26 GMT
Updated 21 minutes ago
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The search continues in Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of the quake
Turkey has ended rescue efforts in all but two provinces, nearly two weeks after a powerful earthquake killed tens of thousands, the country’s disaster agency said.
Searches in Kahramanmaras and Hatay are continuing, the head of the agency said.
However, hopes of finding anyone else alive in the rubble are quickly fading.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Turkey and announced $100 million (£83 million) in humanitarian aid.
The epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6 was in Kahramanmaras. More than 44,000 people are said to have lost their lives in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.
The death toll is expected to rise as about 345,000 homes are known to have been destroyed in Turkey and many people are still missing. Neither Turkey nor Syria have said how many people are still missing.
“Search and rescue efforts have been completed in many of our provinces,” Disaster Management Agency chief Yunus Sezer told reporters in Ankara.
He said search and rescue efforts are continuing at around 40 buildings in the two provinces, but he expects that number to drop by Sunday night.
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Antony Blinken (right) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu travel to one of the hardest hit areas
Mr Blinken has arrived in Turkey to show his support, although the trip was planned before the quake. It is his first trip to Turkey since he took office more than two years ago.
The new aid “will be moving soon. Unfortunately, it’s less about search and rescue and more about long-term recovery. This will be a long-term effort,” he told reporters.
He added that it was “very, very difficult” to get help into Syria.
He will travel to Hatay to see the humanitarian efforts before traveling to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. The two issues are expected to be discussed, including Turkey’s refusal to ratify Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership bids.