Türkiye nears completion of massive post-quake rebuilding campaign

ISTANBUL

Türkiye is nearing the final phase of its massive rebuilding effort following the earthquakes of February 2023 which devastated 11 provinces and killed more than 53,000 people.

At a Tuesday press conference which brought together reporters from around the world to witness Türkiye’s recovery process, Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said reconstruction is progressing at an unprecedented pace across the quake-hit region.

“We are working with extraordinary coordination that will set an example for the world,” Kurum said of the nationwide reconstruction drive.

He said Türkiye has invested a total of $75 billion in rebuilding efforts across the 11 provinces, where 200,000 workers are active on nearly 3,500 construction sites.

“At this very moment, 23 new homes are being completed and handed over every hour. We build 550 per day,” he said, adding that the country has entered the final stretch of its reconstruction drive.

Kurum said that 70% of the houses planned for the region have been completed, meaning two out of every three families have already returned home. He announced that by Nov. 15, Türkiye will deliver its 350,000th new home, with the goal of finishing all 453,000 residences by the end of the year.

He added that the experience gained from this rebuilding phase would guide future nationwide projects, including the upcoming Century Housing Project, which aims to build 500,000 new homes across all 81 of Türkiye’s provinces.

“I believe the success story we have written in the reconstruction of the century will be carried even further with this new initiative,” Kurum said.

He added that Türkiye is ready to share the knowledge it has gained from its post-earthquake efforts with the international community and expressed gratitude to all nations that provided assistance during the earthquake response.

The Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes measured 7.7 and 7.6 in magnitude and struck 11 provinces — Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.