WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the below statement on this morning’s devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria:
“I am deeply saddened and shocked by the devastation this morning’s earthquake wreaked on southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria, which killed more than two thousand people across the region and destroyed the communities of countless more. I am keenly aware of the fact that many of those killed, injured, or otherwise impacted are Syrian civilians who have already been displaced or terrorized due to twelve years of unspeakable violence by the Assad regime, as well as the Turkish host communities that have sheltered them. I extend my deepest condolences to the Turkish and Syrian families of those who perished and to all those who were affected.
“I have reached out to the State Department and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for updates on the safety and well-being of U.S. citizens in the region, including our diplomats, aid workers, and members of the military. As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will continue to work to ensure that the U.S. Government provides timely and desperately needed assistance to all those impacted by this heart-wrenching disaster.”
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