U.S. Senate passes Türkiye, Syria aid resolution on February earthquakes

The U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming Washington's commitment to continued humanitarian aid for Türkiye and Syria in the wake of last month's devastating earthquakes, Sen. Jeff Merkley said Thursday.

The bipartisan resolution, co-sponsored by two Democrats and two Republicans, expressed the "deepest condolences to and solidarity with the people of Türkiye and Syria and calling for robust humanitarian aid following the catastrophic earthquake last month," according to Merkley's office.

It further calls on the UN Security Council to allow for additional border crossings into northern Syria from Türkiye to allow for easier humanitarian access to the war-torn country, and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in northern Syria.

"The images and stories we have seen emerging from the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria are absolutely heart wrenching," Merkley, a member of the Senator Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

"Nearly two months after this horrific tragedy, I am continuing to think of the families who lost loved ones and those who were injured. The devastation is heartbreaking and so many have lost everything. Passage of this resolution reaffirms the United States' commitment to coordinate effective humanitarian aid to the impacted communities as quickly and robustly as possible," he added.

The Turkish embassy in Washington said the Senate passage followed a similar action in the House of Representatives "to show solidarity with Türkiye after the devastating earthquakes."

"We thank Members of Congress for support to their ally!" the embassy said on Twitter with emojis representing the American and Turkish flags.