U.S. search and rescue team members from Fairfax, Virginia, prepare to leave for Turkey INTERACTIVE: Chronology of major earthquakes over the last 20 years  GALLERIES: The story of a rescue Scenes of hope... and destruction  MESSAGE BOARD: Turkey Quake VIDEO CNN's Andrea Koppel reports on the aid the U.S. is providing to Turkey Windows Media 28K 80K

August 17, 1999
Web posted at: 8:53 p.m. EDT (0053 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A top search and rescue team from the United States is expected to reach Turkey early Wednesday to help look for survivors following the earthquake that killed 2,000 people and left many more trapped under rubble in the western part of the country.

"Most of you know that Turkey has been our friend and ally for a long time now," said U.S. President Bill Clinton. "We must stand with them and do whatever we can to help them get through this terrible crisis."

In addition to the 70-member search and rescue team from Fairfax, Virginia, and eight coordinators from Dade County, Florida, the United States is sending thousands of pounds of high-tech equipment -- including listening devices -- and five dogs trained to sniff out survivors who may be trapped under rubble.

The equipment and personnel was to leave from Dover, Delaware, on Tuesday for the 12-hour flight to Turkey.

Experts say the odds of trapped quake victims surviving for 72 hours are fairly good.

"Based on what I've seen on the TV, there's still a lot of work to do, and there is a lot of possibility that we can make live rescues in Turkey when we get there," said Ed Stinette, chief of the Fairfax County Fire Department.

U.S. military offers assistance

Gen. Henry Shelton, chairman of the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson were in Turkey for official meetings when the quake struck in the early hours on Tuesday and were helping coordinate the U.S. response.

Shelton offered assistance such as helicopters, tents and blankets from American bases in Turkey, said White House National Security Council spokesman David Leavy.

More than 2,500 U.S. troops based at the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey may also be called on to help. For years, U.S. pilots have flown out of Incirlik in the east of the country to patrol Iraq's northern no-fly zone.

One senior Clinton administration official described U.S.-Turkish relations as "excellent -- the best they've been in years." He added, however, that the United States responds the same to a disaster, no matter how good or strained diplomatic relations are with the country affected.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara has already made an initial grant for the Turkish quake victims of $25,000 -- the largest amount possible on the spur of the moment, one official said.

State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel and Reuters contributed to this report.