Türkiye aims to deliver 200,000 homes in quake zone by end of 2024: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the aim to deliver 200,000 homes and village houses to rightful owners in the earthquake region by the end of the year, followed by rapidly reaching 390,000.

Speaking at the Earthquake Housing Key Delivery Ceremony held at Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Yunus Emre Congress Centre on Tuesday, President Erdogan emphasised that the state mobilised personnel, equipment, and all national and international resources from the onset of the disaster.

"We were faced with a disaster scene that started from Kahramanmaras in the centre of the earthquake, extending from Malatya to the border of Kayseri on one side, and reaching Adiyaman, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, and Hatay on the other. In fact, the destructive impact of the earthquake was continuing beyond our borders," the president highlighted.

"In the cities affected by the earthquake, 39,000 buildings were destroyed, 60,000 were urgently demolished, and 200,000 buildings were severely damaged. Urgent search and rescue operations were required in 26,000 of these buildings," he added.

Erdogan stated that Türkiye conducted the largest search and rescue operation in history with the participation of more than 35,000 professional personnel from within the country and abroad. "With a national mobilisation, we ensured that all services, from security to subsistence and supplies, were systematically and continuously provided by deploying 650,000 personnel to the earthquake region."

"We ensured that search and rescue carried out uninterrupted by transferring 20,000 vehicles and machinery, 141 helicopters, 182 planes, and 23 ships to the region."

'Every life rescued renewed hope'

"Every life we rescued from under the rubble renewed our hopes as a nation. With the 1 million tents we sent, we solved the urgent housing needs of approximately 3 million people, including those in rural areas. Then, with the 215,000 containers we set up throughout the region, we provided earthquake survivors with better housing conditions," Erdogan said.

Erdogan also highlighted that Türkiye allocated 107 billion liras for urgent needs in the earthquake region along with other works, stating that it immediately started the construction of permanent residences during this process.

He pointed out that they conducted the delivery of the first completed residences over the weekend in Hatay and Gaziantep, mentioning that they held the lottery and delivery ceremony for 7,275 residences in Hatay and 10,698 residences in Gaziantep.

The Turkish president also announced that they will draw the lottery for 9,289 residences and deliver the keys in Kahramanmaras today, adding, "In addition to these, the construction of 20,000 residences in Kahramanmaras is rapidly progressing."

Catastrophic twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 shook southern Türkiye and northern Syria on February 6, 2023, levelling thousands of buildings and claiming the lives of over 53,500 people.