On the anniversary of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
February 6 marks one year since the devastating earthquakes that occurred in southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria.
The epicenter of the first earthquake, with magnitude of 7.8, was located in the area of the cities of Pazardzhik, Gaziantep and Kahramanmarash. Nine hours after it, a second earthquake of magnitude 7.5 occurred with an epicenter of 95 kilometers to the north, near the city of Ekinözü. The tremors and their aftershocks caused tens of thousands of casualties and a lot of destruction.
In Turkey alone, according to official data, the tragedy claimed the lives of over 50 thousand people, leaving millions homeless.
Today, Turkey's Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change continues to work day and night to heal the "wounds" of the earthquakes and ensure the speedy return of disaster victims to their homes.
According to the head of the department, Mehmet Ozhaseki, round-the-clock restoration work, regardless of weather conditions, continues in 11 cities affected by the earthquake. Teams from the Office of Mass Housing Construction (TOKİ), the General Directorate of Construction Affairs under the above-mentioned ministry, and Iller Bank were involved.
The Ministry is building up city areas at a rapid pace; construction of 307 thousand houses is underway, including 50 thousand residential buildings in the city center and 50 thousand houses in villages.
“All our efforts are aimed at bringing our brothers and sisters affected by the earthquake to their warm homes as soon as possible,” Mehmet Ozhaseki said, adding that urban revitalization work will continue.
Under the “Transformation in Place” project, citizens are given the opportunity to build their own homes on empty plots of land under the supervision of the Ministry.
The General Directorate of Building Affairs of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has implemented an Electronic Building Concrete Monitoring System (EBIS). This system records each stage of concreting to make structures more durable and safe.
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