Last week's earthquake in southern Turkey was the deadliest natural disaster on Alliance territory since NATO's founding, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday, Anadolu Agency reported.

At a joint press conference with Stoltenberg, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the visit by the North Atlantic Alliance secretary general is meant to demonstrate NATO's solidarity with longtime member Turkey, after the Feb. 6 double earthquake that killed more than 36,000 people.

"The NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center has been coordinating this (NATO assistance) from the beginning. The NATO Council also decided to send (living) containers and tents suitable for winter conditions to our country from its inventory," Cavusoglu said.

He noted that the NATO chief will also be received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday and will then travel to the earthquake-hit Hatay region, where he will meet with the country's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

Akar and Stoltenberg will discuss accommodation materials to be provided by NATO to earthquake victims and visit the site to prepare these facilities.